Life Goes On
by dancegirl01mom
Summary: UPDATED Chapter 18 now up SPOILERS for DH. Follow Harry from the last chapter until the 19 years of the epilogue
1. Chapter 1 Meeting Teddy

Chapter 1 Meeting Teddy

Harry, Ron and Hermione left the headmaster's office and returned to the Great Hall. As Harry walked in, he froze. He couldn't go in. It was his fault all these people had died – his fault that Ron had lost his brother. He wanted to leave – he just couldn't face them, couldn't face anyone else again. But as he turned to leave, he was engulfed by Mrs. Weasley. She was hugging him so tight, he couldn't breathe as she said "Thank goodness you're all right – we were so worried"

Harry stood there, with Mrs. Weasley hugging him for what seemed like an eternity as Harry's guilt threatened to overwhelm him. Suddenly, the rest of the Weasleys were there, surrounding them. Mr. Weasley said that it was time for everyone to go home, back to the Burrow. "But first, I told Kingsley that I would go see Andromeda – someone needs to tell her"

Remus and Tonks – Harry had almost forgotten that someone would need to tell Tonks' mother that she was gone. And Teddy – his godson didn't have parents anymore. Harry knew he had to be the one to tell teddy, that even though Teddy wouldn't remember being told tonight, that Harry needed to be there for Teddy for this awful news. "I want to go with you Mr. Weasley" Harry said.

"No Harry, just come home with us tonight," Mrs. Weasley said. "Let Arthur handle telling Andromeda"

"Mrs. Weasley, I want to be the one to tell Teddy his parents are gone," Harry replied a little too harshly. "I'm his godfather, I need to be there for him"

Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to argue, but Arthur looked like understood, "come on Harry, let's go" and they left the Great Hall.

They apparated just outside the Tonks residence. It looked much Like Harry remembered from the night he left Privet Drive. He was scared – this was worse than facing Voldemort. How do you tell someone their daughter is gone? He didn't know Andromeda Tonks at all, had never met his godson and he was bringing them the worse news he could. He walked up to the front door with Mr. Weasley, glad the older man was with him. Mr. Weasley looked at harry and asked "are you sure your up to this?" Harry simply nodded, afraid to open his mouth. Mr. Weasley knocked on the door.

Andromeda opened the door. When she saw them standing there, she knew. Neither Harry nor Arthur said anything. Andromeda just cried out "No" and started crying. Arthur and Harry helped her walk to the sofa and sit down, were she sobbed into Arthur's arms. "How?" she asked

"We're not entirely sure how," Arthur started. "The last anyone saw Remus, he was dueling Dolohov . The last anyone remembered seeing Dora, she was dueling Bellatrix. We think that's how they both died"

"Both of them are gone? And my own sister?" cried Andromeda. She sat there crying, while Harry and Arthur set there with her. Suddenly, they heard crying. "Teddy…."

"Can I go get him?" Harry asked. Andromeda nodded.

Harry walked up the steps, following the cries until he got outside the nursery door. Harry was trembling, knowing how Teddy's life had change that night. He opened the door and walked in. The crib was in the corner – and Teddy was laying there crying. Harry picked him up, not believing how tiny he was. Could anyone be this small? Teddy had the turquoise hair he seemed to favor, but Harry was looking into Remus's eyes. Harry cradled him in his arms and walked over to the rocking chair. Harry set down, holding Teddy close. He rocked gently and Teddy quieted and lay there in Harry's arms, watching Harry.

"Hi, Teddy. I'm your godfather, Harry. I wish I had come the night you were born to meet you when both of your parents were here. But, I'm here now. Your Mom and Dad were very brave people. They were heroes in the war that was going on. They died tonight. I know you don't understand me now, but one day, you will. And I know it will hurt. I want you to know that I will always be here for you – that's what a godfather does. I will tell you all about your Dad – stories from when he was in school and friends with my Dad, when he was my teacher for a year at school, how he was my friend afterwards. " Tears were sliding down Harry's cheeks as he spoke.

"I will tell you about your Mom, too. I didn't know her as well as your Dad. But your Mom was amazing – she could always brighten the day, make us feel better. Your Grandmom will have to tell you about your Mom when she was younger."

"I know its going to be hard, growing up without a Mom and Dad. I know – I did it. But I just want to promise you, I will always be here for you. You can come to me with anything, Teddy. We're family Teddy and we always will be. " Harry sat there, rocking Teddy while the tears silently fell from his own eyes, tears for the life Teddy would never have, for the loss Teddy had, the loss they both shared.

After awhile, Harry noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Andromeda had entered the room. "We were wondering if you were ok with him?" she asked.

"I was just telling him about his parents." Harry said. "I want to be a part of his life, Mrs. Tonks. I know I'm not ready to raise a child, I'm too young for that. But I want to help you. I want to be there for Teddy as he grows up."

Andromeda nodded, "Of course you do Harry. I know you're his godfather and from what Dora told me about you, you will be wonderful. We can work the details out later. Arthur's downstairs waiting for you to go back to the Burrow with him. We'll talk later about Teddy."

Harry nodded. He kissed Teddy on the forehead. Harry was amazed by the strong emotions he felt holding Teddy, how much he cared for the tiny infant he had just met. He placed Teddy in his Grandmother's arms and kissed him again. He went downstairs to find Mr. Weasley and they left for the Burrow.


	2. Chapter 2 Back at the Burrow

Thanks for the reviews!

This chapter didn't go quite the way I wanted it to, but here it is.

I own none of it – Thanks JKR for allowing us to play in your universe

Chapter 2 Back at the Burrow

Harry and Mr. Weasley apparated back to the Burrow. As they approached the house, Harry looked around, remembering the last time he was here – Bill and Fleur's wedding. The house looked the same as it always did, but still, it seemed different walking down the path. Harry couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Mr. Weasley opened the door and they went into the kitchen. Everyone was there, sitting around the table. No one was talking. Mrs. Weasley looked up, "Thank goodness your back" she exclaimed, rushing towards them and hugging them both. Mr. Weasley and Harry hugged her back. "Sit, sit" she shooed them into chairs. Mr. Weasley sat in his chair at the head of the table and Harry went and sat next to Ron.

Looking around, Harry noticed that everyone seemed to be in their own world. There was a bottle of butterbeer in front of everyone, but most looked untouched. Mrs. Weasley was sitting next to Mr. Weasley, her head on his shoulder. Bill had his arm around Fleur; they were looking at each other, occasionally whispering between them. Charlie sat next to George, thy both seemed to be staring at their butterbeer but not seeing it. Ron and Hermoine sat together, Hermoine's head on Ron's shoulder as they sat. Percy was next to Ginny. He seemed to be staring straight ahead and not seeing anything at all. Ginny was staring straight at Harry. Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He felt worse than he had 2 years ago when Mr. Weasley was in the hospital.

They sat like that for a long time. No one moved. They were lost in their own grief for Fred, Remus, and Tonks. Suddenly, Hermoine asked, "Harry, how was Teddy?"

It took Harry a moment to realize he needed to answer. "He was fine," Harry stammered, not really sure how to answer. "He's so tiny. I never realized how little a baby would be."

The older members of the Weasley family smiled at that comment. Mrs. Weasley looked at the baby pictures of her own kids on the wall. It was Bill that spoke next. "You know I forgot how tiny all of you were when you were born – Mom used to fuss at us whenever Charlie or I got too close to you – didn't want us to hurt you little ones"

"Well," Mrs. Weasley started. "It's not Charlie and you I should have worried about. You two and Percy were always careful with your younger brothers and sister. Now, Fred and George..." She stopped abruptly, not sure if she wanted to continue.

George continued for her. "Yeah, we were always trying to torture Ron, weren't we? Do you remember the time Fred changed Ron's teddy bear into a spider?"

Ron looked at George and started to say something, but suddenly the tension seemed to be broken as everyone chuckled at the memory. The family started talking about the antics Fred and George always got into together. Soon everyone was laughing at the memories. Harry and Hermoine joined in the story telling as they all remembered Fred. The spoke for hours until Harry and Ron yawned at the same time.

"Look at how late its is," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "You should be getting up to bed. Morning will be here before we know it. Go along now. Harry your stuff is in Ron's room."

With that, the family went upstairs to bed. Everyone stayed at the Burrow that night. Ron and Harry went to Ron's room below the attic. Ginny and Hermoine went to Ginny's room.

As Harry tumbled onto his bed, Ron commented, "Strange not having Hermoine in here with us." And with that, they mumbled good night and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3 The Next day

_Thanks for the reviews._

_I don't own any of the characters. Thank you JKR for allowing us to play in your universe._

Chapter 3 The Day After

Harry woke up suddenly, unsure of where he was. He looked around and saw Ron sitting on his bed. The Burrow. Slowly, everything seemed to come back to Harry – the battle, seeing Remus, Tonks and Fred's bodies in the Great Hall, dying himself, killing Voldemort. And Harry slowly exhaled, not really sure he wanted to move.

The door opened and Hermione walked in. She went to Ron and sat down on the edge of his bed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Everyone else is up. Mrs. Weasley is making breakfast –she thinks we look half starved." When no one else spoke, she continued, "Harry, Kinglsey sent an owl. He's coming over in a little while and wants to talk to you."

"He's going to ask what we were doing" Harry said flatly.

"Probably," said Hermione.

"I can't," Harry choked out. "I just can't talk about it right now…"

"Well, you're going to have to answer questions sometime Harry," Hermione said in that know-it-all tone that drove Harry and Ron crazy. "Sometime, you're going to have to tell them."

"No," Harry said. "No one needs to know the details. No one should be told. I'll see what he wants and go from there, but I can't tell him what we were doing."

Harry, Ron and Hermione went downstairs to the kitchen, the smell of Mrs. Weasley's breakfast having made its way up to Ron's bedroom. When they entered the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley put three plates full of bacon, eggs, and toast on the table. Harry looked over to Mrs. Weasley "You didn't have to go through all this trouble this morning. We could have made ourselves something," he told her.

"Nonsense, Harry," Mrs. Weasley told him. "You three look too thin. You haven't been eating right." She sat down with them. "Did Hermione tell you that Kingsley was coming over to talk to you?"

Harry had just taken a large bite of egg, so he simply nodded. Mrs. Weasley continued, "He should be here in an hour. So you'll want to go change as soon as you're done eating." They finished their breakfast in silence.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Percy were sitting in the living room an hour later. An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Deep in conversation, Kinglsey was led into the living room by Mr. Weasley from the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had just come down the steps. Everyone sat down.

Kingsley looked at Harry. "I know you want to know why I want to see you. I want you to know that I know you can't talk about what you were doing yet, but someday I would like to know."

"No," Harry said, repeating his thoughts from that morning. "No one can know what we were doing. It's too dangerous for the details to get out."

Ginny interrupted Harry, "What do you mean no one can know? After all we went through, waiting, worrying…"

"Ginny," Mrs. Weasley interrupted.

"No," Harry interrupted, "I'm sorry. I will talk to you about some of what we did – but not today. I just can't do it today. Please understand."

Mr. Weasley was the first to answer, "Of course, Harry."

Kinglsey continued, "Actually, Harry, I didn't think I would get the answers I wanted today. Someday, I hope you will tell me. But what I wanted to talk to you about today is about the immediate future. I have been flooded with requests for interviews with you – everyone wants to know about you. I have also been contacted by many of the families of those who died asking if you will come to the funerals of their family."

"Why?"

"Because Harry, you are the one who gave us hope these past years. As Professor Dumbledore told Remus and me, you were the best hope we had of defeating Voldemort and everyone wants you to be a part of the grieving process. For the past two years, you have been a symbol of hope, of a better world. Everyone wants that hope with them as they say good-by to their loved ones."

Harry sat there, not sure what to say, not sure what he was feeling. He wasn't expecting this, that's for sure. And why? Hadn't he given everything already? He had lost his parents, Sirius, Dobby, Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Fred, watched Cedric die, and watched Ginny almost die in the Chamber of Secrets. He had faced Voldemort 5… no 6… no 7! times before he finally defeated him. He had given his childhood. When was his time to grieve, to mourn for his family, his friends, for all he lost? He looked around the room and he couldn't breathe. The Weasley's were sitting around, looking so….. shocked, lost. Harry blinked, he couldn't see from the tears building. He felt a hand on his.

"Harry," Hermione said gently."Harry, are you…"  
"I need some air," Harry jumped up and ran out of the room.

Harry ran out into the garden. Leaning on the fence, he gave in to the tears. He couldn't do this. He never knew that there would be this much pain after it was over. He knew he wasn't the only one hurting – he could see it on every face in the room before he had left. How could he handle this? The Weasley's and Hermione had always been his strength. They had been there for him every time he had lost someone else, every time the world had pushed him away. How could he help them through this when he wasn't sure how to get through this himself? Was he being selfish wishing for someone to be there to give him hope for tomorrow? Harry sat down, leaning against the fence, crying. He just didn't have the strength to stand, didn't want to think, to feel.

Suddenly, someone was there with him. He jumped as he was pulled into a hug by Mrs. Weasley. He leaned into her arms, allowing her to embrace him like she had after the Tri-Wizard tournament. As he cried, he noticed that she was crying, too. That made him feel worse. She had just lost her son, and here she was comforting him. Shouldn't he be comforting her?

"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley," Harry said through his tears. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, all the pain you're going through. I never wanted to do anything to hurt you or your family."

"Harry, it is not you fault," she whispered as she held onto him. "Please don't blame yourself for any of this. We all knew what we were doing, what the risks were. We're just glad it's over and that the three of you are home safe." She held onto Harry while they both cried.

Finally, Harry's tears were spent. He leaned back against the fence. Mrs. Weasley stayed there with him. "You have to go back in and talk to Kingsley sooner or later, you know. " Mrs. Weasley looked him directly in the eye. "And Harry, whatever decision you make, it will be the right one."

Harry sighed and got up. He helped Mrs. Weasley up and hugged her. "Thanks," he whispered.

Harry and Mrs. Weasley returned to the living room. The room was emptier than when Harry had left. Kinglsey, Mr. Weasley, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were all who were remaining. Kingsley spoke, "Hermione suggested that I send you the schedule for the funerals and let you come to the ones you can make. I know this has been hard for you, Harry. I want to let you know that I will be attending all of the funerals, so you are welcome to come with me to as many as you can. I will send you the schedule tomorrow after all the arrangements have been made."

Harry nodded. Leave it to Hermione to work out a plan. "Thanks, Hermione. Brilliant as usual," Harry whispered as he sat back down next to her. Kingsley left, after hugging Mrs. Weasley good-by and shaking Mr. Weasley's hand.

_Thanks for reading!_

_I ended here because the chapter would get too long if I finished the day!_

_Up next – later in the same evening – Harry and Ginny…….will post in the next day or two._


	4. Chapter 4 The Next Day Continued

_Thanks for reading and the reviews_

_The chapter title is totally lame, but I'm stuck for a title – sorry_

_I don't own any of the characters or settings – I'm just playing in the universe created by the brilliant JKR!_

Chapter 4 The Next Day continued

Mr. Weasley left the room moments behind Kingsley, muttering something Harry couldn't hear as he went upstairs. Mrs. Weasley looked between the trio squeezed on the sofa, Ginny and Mr. Weasley's retreating back. Not sure who needed her more at this moment, but knowing that her husband was alone and the others were together, she followed her husband up the stairs.

As soon as the door to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom had closed, Ginny turned to Harry, her eyes flashing in anger, "What was that about Harry?" she shouted.

Harry looked at her, seeing the anger, the pain in her eyes "What…"

Ginny interrupted, "You won't tell us what you were doing. We spent the past year worrying every day – You don't know what it was like waiting here, waiting for someone to show up at the door, to hear that you were dead. Then, that moment, that awful moment, when Hagrid carried you out of the forest and we thought you were dead! Harry, I thought I was going to die seeing you in Hagrid's arms. Then, miracle of miracle, you were in the Great Hall, alive, protecting my mother, and battling Voldemort. And, you won – he's dead. You did it. You did what everyone hoped you would do. You were there as we started to clean up, but then, you just disappeared AGAIN! The three of you just left. DO you know how worried I was, how worried Mum and Dad were when suddenly they couldn't find you? What do you mean you can't tell us???? WHY? Why can't we know? Why won't you go to the funerals? Don't you care about what anyone else is going through?"

Ginny had started off softly, but by the end, she was shouting – everyone in the Burrow had heard her, Harry knew. He thought he heard doors opening upstairs, people coming down the stairs. He walked over in front of her and kneeled down in front of her, looking directly into her eyes. "Ginny, I DO care about you, about everyone in this family. I don't know what you went through last year, but I know it wasn't easy." Ginny's eyes remained locked on Harry's, still blazing, and still full of anger and pain as Harry continued. "Ginny, I want to go to Fred's funeral, and Remus, Tonks, Colin, Professor Snape's and those I knew. I just don't think I can be the person everyone wants me to be. I can't go to all those funerals – people I don't even know. Ginny, I want to be here, with my family, with Teddy, NOT out with a bunch of people who want me there because I'm some hero, because I'm not a hero."

Harry took a deep breath, not sure what else to say. He knew she was hurting, they all were. He didn't know what to do to make it easier for her, and her eyes were still blazing in anger. He couldn't remember ever seeing that much anger in her eyes before. "What about telling us what you were doing the past year? What was so important that you had to leave for a year? It's over now, you can tell us? Or don't you trust us?"

"Ginny, I trust you completely," Harry replied. "What we did this past year, some of it was so terrible, I want to forget most of it, but I know I won't. We will tell you and our family what we did, just not right now. Give us a couple of days, some time to process it all. We will answer your questions, but not today."

"Harry's right," Ron said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him, for the whole family had returned to the living room. Harry kept his eyes locked on Ginny's. "Ginny, what we went through will give me nightmares for the rest of my life. I know it will Harry and Hermione as well. We need time to stop sleeping with our wands in our hands, to stop jumping at every noise."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. "Remus told us that he thought we would be facing magic that none of us had encountered or imagined before. And he was right. We saw things that I could not have imagined in my worst nightmare. I don't think any of us could have imagined most of what we encountered." Harry grimaced slightly at Hermione's words, remembering. Hermione continued, "Even though I felt safe being back here last night, I couldn't get to sleep without my wand in my hand. Ginny, when you left the room last night, I didn't hear you – but when you came back, I heard the door opening and I almost cursed you. Before I can talk about what happened, I need to feel safe again. I need to know that I'm not going to turn around and curse someone I care about because they walked into a room." Ron pulled Hermione into a hug.

"I'm sorry for what all of you went through this year," Harry told everyone. "I can't imagine what it was like for you, worrying and not knowing, not being able to go to work. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I would give anything to keep you from being hurt. I wish I could take it all away, but I can't."

Bill spoke next, "You didn't hurt us Harry. None of this is your fault, so don't think that. We don't blame you. I know this past year wasn't easy for the three of you, either. We do want to know what happened, but we can wait until you're ready to talk about it. We are just glad that all three of you are safe."

Ginny was still staring at Harry, her eyes still glaring. "Is that OK with you, Ginny," Harry asked hesitantly. "Give us a little while?"

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she answered.

_Not the Harry – Ginny you thought it would be, but bear with me_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for reading and the reviews!_

_This chapter kind of sprang up on its own – and it's my longest one yet. I couldn't come up with a title, nothing seemed right._

_I don't own the characters or the settings – they all belong to the wonderful JKR. I'm just playing in her universe for a little while._

Chapter 5

Harry walked back over to the sofa and sat down, next to Hermione. Everyone sat in an awkward silence for awhile, not sure what to say. Harry saw the pain on their faces and couldn't help feeling guilty. If only he had been faster, gotten to all the horcruxes faster. If he had turned himself over to Voldemort as soon as he arrived, the battle wouldn't have happened and his friends wouldn't have died.

"Harry," Ron whispered. "Don't, mate – it's not your fault." Harry jumped and looked at Ron, questioningly. "It's on your face – the same look you had after Cedric and Sirius. It's not your fault." Harry and Hermione just looked at him. "What's the look of surprise for? I can't notice something about feelings?" Harry and Hermione chuckled under their breaths.

Looking around, Harry noticed that during that brief exchange, the room seemed to have emptied. He heard low whispers from the kitchen. "Want to take a walk?" he asked.

The trio left through the kitchen, letting Mrs. Weasley know that they were going for a walk and would be back soon. The three walked in silence until they came to a quiet hill. They lay down, Hermione's head resting on Ron's shoulder. Harry smiled at his friends, thinking it had taken them long enough to get here. Now, he just had to figure out how to set things right with Ginny. They lay there, watching the clouds.

"When will it get easier?" Ron asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "All I know is, it will. The pain is always there, but you learn to live with it. And the pain isn't as bad anymore. Well, that's how it's worked for me in the past. I'm not sure if it'll be the same this time. This year was hell for all of us. And to end with what we loss…" Harry trailed off.

"But we didn't loose everything," Hermione answered. "We still have each other – and most of our family. We all knew what could happen. And it's over, finally. After three years, we won and he's gone. There can finally be peace."

"It's been longer than three years, Hermione," Harry told her. "It's been my whole life and years before as Voldemort gained power. I never thought I would see the day when I didn't have him looming in my future, ready to kill me. I can't believe that it's over. But peace will take awhile. There's so much to rebuild "

The three stayed there in silence, watching the clouds roll by, taking comfort in their friendship. No one spoke. No one needed to. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they all got up and headed back to the Burrow. The past year had left scars that no one could see, but it had left their friendship stronger than before.

They arrived back to the Burrow just in time for dinner. After washing up, they sat down to an awkward dinner. Dinner at the Weasley's had always been lively, full of conversation and laughter. Tonight, the silence seemed to overwhelm. No one talked; no one seemed to eat much. They were all lost in thought.

Towards the end of dinner, a small brown owl arrived at the window. Bill went to the window and let it in. The owl flew over to Harry and held its leg out. Harry removed the letter aware that everyone was watching, wondering. Harry opened the letter, but did not recognize the handwriting. He read:

Harry,

Kingsley Shacklebolt visited me this afternoon asking about funeral arrangements for Remus and Dora. I agreed on a date for the funeral. We will be holding their funerals together; I believe they both would have wanted that. He informed me that Remus had no other family to help plan the funeral. I am hoping that you will be able to assist me with planning as I did not know Remus that well. I want to make sure he is honored as my Dora is. If you can help tomorrow or the next day, please let me know.

You may visit with Teddy while you are here – I am sure Teddy would enjoy playing with you.

Sincerely,

Andromeda Tonks

Harry stared at the letter in his hands. Hermione asked what everyone was thinking, "Harry, what is it?" Harry handed the letter to her. She read it and looked at him, "You are going to do this." She started.

"Of course I am," he replied, a little harsher than he sounded. "Sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to sound so."

"It's OK, Harry. I didn't really think you would turn her down," Hermione replied. "You should send an answer back now. Her owl is still waiting."

"Oh, right," Harry mumbled and he left to find parchment and a quill. While he was gone, he heard Hermione telling everyone what the letter was about. Good – he wouldn't have to. He attached his answer to the owl and returned to the table.

When he sat down, he noticed that Mr. Weasley was talking to Bill. He heard something about Fred's funeral and he just looked down, eating the dessert that Mrs. Weasley had put on the table. Should he offer to help? He heard Charlie ask Mr. Weasley something about who would be speaking at the funeral. Mrs. Weasley replied that Lee, Angelina, Katie and Oliver had all sent notes offering to speak at Fred's funeral. They just needed to decide who – or maybe all of them should speak. Plus maybe someone from the family.

As the Weasley's discussed Fred's funeral, Harry sat there listening. When he realized that no one was eating anymore, he tapped Hermione on the shoulder and started to pick up the plates. Hermione joined Harry and the two of them cleaned up from dinner while the Weasley's planned Fred's funeral. When they were done, they sat back down, Hermione taking Ron's hand as he sat down.

After awhile, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nodded, both satisfied with what they had planned. After deciding on when to meet tomorrow, Bill and Fleur, accompanied by Charlie aparated back to Shell Cottage. The still had a headstone and coffin to pick out. George, Ginny and Percy went upstairs, Ginny ignoring Harry as she walked by. Ron pulled Hermione up, and asked Harry if he was coming. The three walked up to Ron's bedroom.

Hermione sat on Ron's bed. She looked at both of them. "I'm afraid to go to sleep tonight. Last night, I was so exhausted, I didn't think. But, tonight, I'm afraid of what I'll dream of."

"So am I," Ron admitted. "But, we have to sleep. I wonder if we could get any of that dreamless sleep potion."

"We can't use it all the time," Harry replied. "Professor Dumbledore only let me use it the one time. He said something about our dreams helping us to get through what happened – I wasn't paying much attention to him when he said it because I was too upset that he wouldn't let me have anymore."

"I don't want to wake the whole house up," Ron answered back. "So, what do I do? Not sleep?"

And suddenly, Hermione sat up a little straighter. "I know. We can cast the muffiatto charm around our beds after we get in. That way, I won't bother Ginny either since it'll be around my bed and not the room. You two can either do it around your beds or your room."

"Brilliant," Ron said, leaning in to kiss her. After saying good night, Hermione left to go to bed. Ron and Harry changed and got into their beds. "Harry, I think we should do the charm around our beds so we don't wake each other up. I've listened to a couple of your nightmares in the past, and no offense, I don't want to hear anymore. I'll have enough of my own." Harry agreed and after they both cast the charm around their beds, they fell asleep.

The three of them slept fitfully, waking to nightmares that they were only to afraid would haunt them for the rest of their lives. Morning finally came and while they were glad to see it arrive and give them a chance to leave their nightmares, none of them were rested. They dressed and went down to breakfast. The mood in the kitchen was the same somber one as yesterday. However, today, they were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, Percy, George and Ginny. Everyone mumbled their "Good mornings" as the three slipped into their seats and Mrs. Weasley placed bowls of porridge in front of them.

An owl flew through the open window and landed in front of Harry. Harry took the letter from the owl's outstretched leg and the owl took off back through the window. Harry thought he heard Mr. Weasley whisper Kingsley's as the owl left.

Opening the parchment, he saw that it was the schedule of funerals that Kingsley had said he would send. There were a lot of names on the list. Looking at the list Harry was overwhelmed at the amount of people who had been lost. Blinking back tears, he noticed that most days had four, sometimes five funerals on the same day. How was that possible? He noticed the last two days – each day held simply two names. One day was Colin Creevey and Fred Weasley. The last day was Nymphadora Tonks Lupin and Remus John Lupin. Seeing those names there, at the end of the list was almost too much for Harry. He knew he would be attending all of the funerals, despite his protest the day before. But those four would be the hardest. He was sort of glad that they weren't mixed in the jumble with everyone else. Had Kingsley planned it that way?

"Harry," Mrs. Weasley started. "What is it?"

"The schedule from Kingsley," Harry replied. "My schedule for the next two weeks."

Harry missed the "I told you so" look that Hermione had sent to Ginny. He sighed and got up from the table. He mumbled something about getting ready for Andromeda's, but he really wanted a few moments alone. When he got to the privacy of Ron's room, he looked at the schedule again, reading the names over and over. Suddenly, he realized one name wasn't on the list – Professor Snape's. Why? Harry knew that he would be stopping in to see Kingsley after he went to Andromeda's to find out about the omission.

Harry spent the morning at Andromeda's, planning the funeral service for Dora and Remus. Harry hadn't realized how hard it would be, making plans to say good-by. It wasn't as hard as Harry was expecting – they both agreed a simple service would be best. There would be three speakers – a friend of Dora's from school, Kingsley and Harry. Andromeda asked Harry to sit with Teddy and her at the service. Harry spent the rest of the morning playing with his godson. Harry was amazed by how Teddy's smile seemed to ease the pain he was feeling. He rocked Teddy to sleep for his nap, enjoying the warmth of the small baby in his arms. He never knew that he could feel this amount of love for another person. After laying Teddy down in his crib, Harry made arrangements to come and visit again later that week.

Harry arrived at the ministry and made straight for Kingsley's office, not really seeing anyone around him. He thought he heard people whispering "Is that Harry Potter?" as he walked through the ministry. Just what he wanted – more whispering, more staring. Finally, he arrived at Kingsley's office. He was led into Kingsley's office by a young wizard.

"Harry, please have a seat," Kingsley said, looking up from his desk. "What was so urgent that you needed to see me today?"

"Well, sir," Harry began. "I got the schedule this morning and it's quite a schedule. I was wondering why someone was left off the list?"

"Who was left off the list?" Kingsley asked puzzled.

"Professor Snape." Harry replied.

"Oh," Kingsley replied. "There was no one to plan the funeral. He has no living family."

Harry thought about this information. He knew that Professor Snape needed a proper funeral. He was unsure of what the ministry would do with an unclaimed body. Harry felt that Professor Snape should have a big funeral like Professor Dumbledore had, but Harry knew that it was unlikely. Professor Snape wasn't respected like Professor Dumbledore had been and Harry doubted that many would come.

"I'll plan the funeral, sir," Harry said before he even realized it. "When can we have it?"

After looking over the schedule, they agreed to an evening service, the night before Colin and Fred's. Harry thanked the minister and left. He apparated back to the Burrow and went upstairs to Ron's bedroom. The house was empty, so he got to work. He planned the funeral, making arrangements for Professor Snape to be buried in Godric's Hollow next to his mom. Harry would be the only speaker. He sent a letter to Professor McGonagall informing her of the service and asking her to come.

That done, Harry lay back on the bed. Now, he only had to get through the next two weeks. He wasn't sure he could. He wanted to ask Ron and Hermione to come with him, but he was afraid. They had done so much for him already; it really wasn't fair to ask them to come.


	6. Chapter 6 Saying goodbye I

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. _

_This chapter was hard to write and I'm not sure I got it right. Then next ones are going to be hard as well since they are the funerals._

_I don't own any of this – I'm just playing in the universe created by the brilliant JK Rowling._

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**Chapter 6 Saying Good-Bye Professor Snape**

The two days before the funerals seemed to pass in a rush. Harry couldn't remember the Burrow ever being so quiet. No one was even talking, just whispered conversation. Harry wanted to talk to Ginny, but she seemed to be ignoring him completely, glaring in anger whenever Harry tried to talk to her. He decided to leave her be for now.

Harry spent an evening with Teddy, and he realized it was the first time he had laughed in two days. He was glad he went to see Teddy when he did, for the next day was the first day of the funerals. There were four scheduled for the next day. Harry didn't know any of them. Spending the evening with his godson made Harry feel like there was hope that life would get better.

Harry woke up the morning of the funerals. He got dressed in the black dress robes he had purchased for the occasion. He went down to the kitchen, regretting that he had not asked Ron and Hermione to come with him. They had always done these kinds of things together, but Harry knew he couldn't ask Ron to leave his family right now – they needed him more than Harry did.

No one else was in the kitchen, so Harry helped himself to some toast and juice. He wasn't too hungry and he was kind of glad that no one was around. He didn't feel like talking. Over the next eleven days, he had fifty funerals to attend for people he didn't know and then he would somehow have to get through the five of the people he did know, his friends and family. He wasn't sure how he was going to get through everything.

Those eleven days were some of the longest Harry had ever lived through. He didn't see how his presence was helping. He stayed by Kingsley's side, echoing Kingsley's comments about how heroic the person had been. Harry felt guilty every evening for the amount of people who had died because of him. By the fifth day, Harry was barely able to sleep at night, between the nightmares of the past few years waking him up to the guilt not letting him fall asleep, Harry wasn't sure how he was going to make it. He found his comfort by visiting Teddy – which he ended up doing five evenings over those eleven days. The evenings he spent with Teddy were the nights that he was able to get a little sleep. The nightmares still came, but the guilt was lessened a little by hearing Teddy's laugh, by rocking him to sleep.

Finally, all fifty of the funerals were over. Harry hadn't thought it was going to happen. He was glad it was over – sitting there with Kingsley with everyone thinking he was a hero had been too much for him. However, now Harry was really dreading what was to come in the next two days. He apparated back to the Burrow for a quick dinner, then, Ron and Hermione were joining him for Professor Snape's funeral that evening. Dinner was another quiet event. And all too soon, it was time to go.

Harry, Ron and Hermione apparated to Godric's Hollow. Harry was tense, remembering the last time he had been here. He jumped when Hermione reached out and took his hand. Ron gave Harry a little smile and they walked up the road, retracing the steps that Harry and Hermione had taken six months earlier on a cold snowy night. They arrived at the muggle war memorial and Hermione stopped. The three looked up at the statue. Harry looked up at his parents and thought "I miss you" They paused only for a second before continuing. They made it to the church and entered the graveyard. Harry wasn't so sure he could handle this anymore. Back when he had made the preparations, he thought it was the right place. But now, Harry wasn't so sure he could handle seeing his parents' graves again with the fresh pain of those who had died recently.

Hermione sensed Harry's hesitation. "Harry, we'll be right here with you. This was a good thing you did for Professor Snape. Your parents would be proud of you for doing this."

Ron chuckled, "Are you sure Hermione? His Dad might not be too happy about having some bloke who loved his wife on the other side of her."

"Ronald!" Hermione yelled. "How dare…."

She was cut off by Harry's laughter. "You know, I never thought of it like that. You're right. Dad might not be too happy. But, he's the one Mum married. He'll have to cope, because it's already done – can't change that now."

So with the three of them laughing softly, they approached the area for Professor Snape's funeral. The grave was dug and the coffin was already there. Just waiting for those who were coming to say good-bye to arrive. Harry looked at his parents' graves. Hermione pulled out her wand and made a wreath of spring flowers. Ron caught it and turned to Harry. Together the three went to Harry's parents grave and placed the wreath. They walked around to stand on the other side of Professor Snape's grave. They didn't know how many people to expect, but they had a few minutes before the service was scheduled to start.

Soon, the distinct pops from people apparating could be heard. The area was soon full of people. Harry was astonished at the number of people who had gathered tonight. He looked around. There was Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout and Professor Trelawney, Hagrid – all of the remaining Hogwarts staff had come. He saw Neville, Luna, and Dean. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and turned to look in the eyes of Mrs. Weasley. "Wh- What..." he managed to stammer.

"You thought no one would come?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry just looked around astonished that all of these people had come to Professor Snape's funeral. He knew no one present had ever liked him. And here, more people were coming, until Harry noticed that all of the DA, the order and the Weasley's were here. And, suddenly, the small tufty-haired wizard who had presided over all the past funerals, over Bill and Fluer's wedding called for everyone's attention.

Words were spoken, but Harry wasn't paying attention. He was standing in the front, close to Professor Snape's coffin and he could see his parents' headstone just beyond. Hermione and Ron were standing on one side; Hermione holding Harry's hand while her other arm was wrapped around Ron. On Harry's other side stood the Weasley's. Mrs. Weasley stood close to Harry. Harry didn't think he could speak. He didn't think Professor Snape would want everyone here to hear what Harry had planned on saying tonight. Trying to think fast, he suddenly realized everyone was staring at him.

"Harry," Mrs. Weasley started gently.

Harry nodded and walked forward. He looked around at everyone and smiled.

"Wow. So many of you are here tonight. I'm trying to figure out why. I think we can all agree that none of us would say that we liked Professor Snape. I don't know how many times I called him names that I don't think I can repeat with Mrs. Weasley standing right here." There had been slight laughter as Harry spoke and he thought he caught a glimpse of a look starting on Mrs. Weasley's face along with a hint of a smile.

"I really don't know what to say today to honor him. Most of our memories of Professor Snape are not happy. But, he was brilliant at Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts. Most of us who were in the Order never really trusted him, even when Professor Dumbledore said we should. Professor Snape never had an easy life. His family life was difficult. But he had one friend in his childhood. He met her on the playground near his home. He saw what she was capable of and he was the one who told her she was a witch. From then on, my mother and Professor Snape were friends. Still, he didn't have an easy family life or an easy time at school. He was often picked on and teased, much of it by my father and his friends. Through it all, Professor Snape and my mother remained friends. Something happened when they were fifteen and my mother refused to speak to him again. Professor Snape regretted what happened, but my mother couldn't forgive him. Professor Snape had made too many wrong choices until finally something happened that he would regret for ever. He couldn't protect my parents from Voldemort. When Voldemort killed my parents, Professor Snape finally realized what was going on and that he was wrong. From that day almost seventeen years ago until the day he died, Professor Snape was trying to make amends for what he had done in the past. He risked his life constantly by pretending to be on Voldemort's side. He played his part so well that the only people who trusted him were the ones he was trying to bring down – and then they never fully trusted him, either. The side he was fighting for never trusted him, never believed that there was good in him. I can understand how he could be bitter. He had no one he could confide in, and only one person who truly knew what kind of person Professor Snape was. His death was the most meaningless of this war. He did not die in battle. He did not die because he had been discovered a spy. He was killed because Voldemort had no more use for him and because Voldemort thought that Professor Snape was in his way. Professor Snape's last act before dying was to give me the last piece of information that Professor Dumbledore said I needed to have in order to win."

Harry took a deep breath and continued, "Professor Snape was not a man looking to be rewarded or acknowledged for what he was doing. Indeed, he specifically asked Professor Dumbledore to not tell anyone. Why am I telling you this today, then? Because Professor Snape was one of the bravest men to fight against Voldemort. None of us ever gave him the respect he craved, the respect he deserved while he was living. He deserves our respect when we remember him, now."

Harry walked back next to Hermione and turned. He watched as the coffin was magically lowered into the ground and covered. The headstone was magically placed and a wreath of lilies appeared over the grave.

The service was over. Hermione pulled Harry into a hug and told him what he said was nice. Ron laughed, "Yeah, Hermione. Could you see his face if he heard?"

Everyone around laughed and Harry said, "Actually, I could while I was talking. It was a mix of that look he always gave me and a smile."

Everyone was leaving. Hands were being shaken and good-byes whispered. Finally, the only ones left were the Weasley's, Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"Coming, Harry?" Mr. Weasley called as they made to leave.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Go ahead without me." Harry replied. He heard the distinct sound from everyone apparating away. Harry turned and walked back to Professor Snape's grave. "Thank you," he whispered. He looked around at how empty the graveyard was now, and understanding finally dawned on Harry. He finally realized why it was important for him to have attended all those funerals. He was doing there for the survivors. It was the same reason the graveyard had been full earlier – not for Professor Snape. His friends had come to support him.

Harry walked to the end of the graveyard and saw two figures there waiting for him. Harry smiled, grateful that they had waited. Ron, Hermione and Harry apparated back to the Burrow together.


	7. Chapter 7 Saying Goodbye II

_Thanks for continuing to read! I appreciate the reviews._

_The second of the funerals Harry was dreading. These funerals are impossible to write…._

_This is my least favorite, hard to write because of trying to set something up...bear with me_

_Next chapter will be Fred's funeral._

_I don't own any of this. The brilliant JK Rowlingowns it all_

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**Chapter 7 Saying Good-bye – Colin**

The trio arrived back at the Burrow. The house was dark and quiet. It seemed that everyone had gone up to bed as soon as they had arrived home. Certainly, they needed the rest for tomorrow would be a difficult day for all of them – Fred's funeral was scheduled for the afternoon. As they made to go in the house, Harry paused.

"I'll be up in a minute," Harry told them. "I just want to look at the stars for a minute." Ron and Hermione nodded and went inside.

Harry sat on the steps, looking up at the sky. He let his mind wonder, from the funerals of the past days, to the four that were left, to his parents, to Teddy. Harry wasn't sure how long he sat there, when he heard footsteps and someone came out of the kitchen and sat down next to him.

"Ron know you came back out?" Harry asked Hermione.

"No, I waited until he quieted down in his room," she replied. They sat in silence for a few moments. "Harry, can I talk to you about something?" She started nervously.

"Of course," Harry said, turning to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"You see," she started, not looking at Harry. "While you're been attending all the funerals, we've been planning Fred's funeral. It's been very difficult for everyone." Harry nodded as Hermione paused. He couldn't imagine what that had been like for the family. He waited for Hermione to continue. "Well, the hardest part was deciding who to have speak at his funeral. His friends from school volunteered and Mrs. Weasley also wants someone from the family to say something. From his friends, they decided to have Lee speak. But, when it came to deciding who from the family… " Hermione trailed off, looking up towards the sky.

"Hermione," Harry prompted. "What happened?"

Hermione looked at Harry. "They couldn't decide. Everyone wants to say good-bye to Fred."

"Everyone is talking tomorrow?" Harry asked, looking at her.

"Well, not Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. But, all of Fred's brothers and Ginny are. And me." Hermione took a deep breath, like she wanted to say something else. Hermione looked directly at Harry. "Harry, do you want to say something to Fred tomorrow?" Harry nodded. Hermione smiled a little. "Ron and I both told them you would want to. But Mrs. Weasley didn't want to ask you."

"Why?" Harry asked, surprised. "I would do anything they asked me."

"I know, Harry" Hermione answered. "It's just these past two weeks have been tough on you, attending all the funerals for strangers. We saw what it was doing to you. Mrs. Weasley was about ready to forbid you to go to anymore. We saw all the guilt in your face everyday when you came home. I don't think she wanted to add anything else onto your shoulders."

Harry didn't know what to say. Hermione and Harry sat in silence, watching the stars and thinking. Harry had thought he was hiding his feelings. But apparently he hadn't been doing it as well as he thought. He couldn't believe that Mrs. Weasley felt she couldn't ask him to speak at Fred's funeral. Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, trying to give Harry some comfort. After all these years, she knew how much he tended to blame himself.

"I'll talk to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the morning before I leave for Colin's funeral," Harry told her.

"Harry, we are going to Colin's funeral, too" Hermione told him. "Well, Ginny, Ron and I are. We went to school with him, too."

Harry nodded his head. He was glad he would have some company at Colin's funeral. But he worried about being with Ginny. She had continued to ignore him. Hermione and Harry got up and went inside. As they passed through the kitchen, they heard someone crying in the sitting room. Looking in, they saw Mrs. Weasley on the sofa with an old photo album. Harry whispered to Hermione that he would go in and talk to her, for Hermione to go on up.

Harry walked in without talking and sat down next to Mrs. Weasley. She looked up, startled, "Oh, Harry, dear, I'm so sorry." She tried to stop the tears.

"It's OK, Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied. He gave her a hug. "What are you looking at?"

"Just some old pictures from when the kids were younger," she told him.

"Can I look with you?" Harry asked. Mrs. Weasley nodded. They sat together on the sofa. Mrs. Weasley shared stories about the pictures as they looked through the pages. Mrs. Weasley actually smiled through her tears a few times as she talked about the pranks her young twins had played on the family.

When they got to the end of the album, they sat there for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Mrs. Weasley, can I ask you a question?" Harry started nervously.

"Of course, Harry. You can ask me anything."

"Well, you see," Harry didn't think he would be this nervous. "I heard that all of Fred's brothers were saying good-bye to him tomorrow. You know that I've always felt like he was my older brother, too, not just my friend's brother. If it's all right with you and everyone else, I would like to be able to say good-bye as well. It it's OK with you and the rest of the family, since I know I'm not really family"

"Oh, Harry," Mrs. Weasley cried, pulling him into a hug. "You know we think of you as family. And, we would love to have you speak at Fred's funeral tomorrow." Mrs. Weasley held onto him for a long time. Harry didn't resist, and hugged her back until she let go, looking at the clock. "Now, it's late. We should both be in bed."

The next morning dawned bright and sunny. Ron and Harry dressed in silence. They met Hermione and Ginny on the stairs. Entering the kitchen, they were surprised to see that the rest of the family was already up and dressed as well. Apparently, more than just the four of them were going to Colin's funeral.

They apparated to the churchyard. Kingsley saw Harry and started towards him. Noticing, Harry whispered to Ron that he would be right back. He met Kingsley and the two shook hands.

"That was a nice eulogy you gave Professor Snape last night," Kingsley said.

"Thanks," Harry replied. "Kingsley, would it be OK if I sat with the Weasley's for Colin's funeral? I really want to be with my family today."

Kingsley nodded. "You are still speaking today, aren't you?"

Harry nodded to Kingsley and the two parted. Harry led Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the rest of the Weasley's to seats near the front. They say down. Harry looked around. Neville, Luna, Dean and Seamus were just arriving and took seats directly behind Harry. Harry looked at all the people who had come to say good-bye to Colin. Most of Ginny's classmates were there, even those from the other houses. There were lots of students from Harry's year as well as from Dennis' year there as well, regardless of house. Many of the students were there with their own families, like Ginny. Harry noticed that the whole staff from Hogwarts had arrived as well as all of the DA and the order.

Just like at the funerals in the past, the same tufty-haired wizard called for attention. Harry didn't hear what he was saying. He thought back to his first meeting with Colin in his second year. He smiled as he remembered Colin following him around with that camera, at Colin's excitement at what he was learning. Harry hadn't prepared anything after Dennis had asked him to speak; he was planning on speaking from the heart. All too soon, he heard the wizard calling Harry forward. He heard a gasp from Ginny and Ron. Harry just remembered that he hadn't told anyone that he was speaking today. He saw the hurt look in their eyes and realized they both didn't know that he was speaking at Fred's funeral as well. He sighed; he couldn't fix that right now. It would have to wait.

Harry approached the front and stared at Colin's coffin for a moment before turning around. "When I got here, I still wasn't sure what I was going to say today. And as I sat listening to everyone else, I remembered the first time I met Colin. He had his camera in his hand. I don't remember more than a handful of times when he didn't have that camera in his hand. And even then, it was still close by in his bag. All of us know how Colin took pictures of everything. To be honest, there were times when hearing another clicking noise from that camera annoyed me more than I could say. And he was so excited to be at Hogwarts, to be in the magical world. His enthusiasm was contagious – no one could resist smiling. Colin took delight in the world around him. He was so proud when his younger brother joined him, not only in Hogwarts, but in Gryffindor House as well. Colin Creevey is the perfect example of the qualities of Gryffindor House – he was brave and loyal. Through the five years we were in school together, Colin believed in me and supported me. I will never forget the support he gave me over those years. Or the bravery he showed by fighting to protect the world he had grown to love." Harry turned towards Colin's coffin. "Colin, we will miss you."

Harry returned to his seat. He couldn't stop the tears from falling as he sat. Hermione reached over and squeezed his hand. Harry watched as Dennis stood up to speak. He didn't hear much of what Dennis said about his older brother. Instead, he was remembering Colin approaching him the first time they met asking for a picture and an autograph, of Colin seeming to follow him around, of the clicking noises heard as he practiced Quidditch, of seeing Colin's petrified body being carried into the hospital wing, of Colin's excitement when he told Harry that his brother was starting as well and pointing him out, of Colin's excitement when his brother made it into Gryffindor, practicing in the DA.

Suddenly, Harry realized that the funeral was over and everyone was starting to stand. Mrs. Weasley walked over to Harry and hugged him, "That was so sweet of you," she told him. Harry saw Ron and Ginny giving him dirty looks still. He would have to explain when they got back to the Burrow.

"I'll be right back," Harry excused himself and walked towards the front. He had done this many times over the past days, but never dreaded it as much as he did now. He approached Colin's parents and brother who were still sitting. He shook their hands. "I am truly sorry for your loss. Colin was one of the hero's in this war. I will never forget him."

Harry rejoined the Weasley. They returned to the Burrow.


	8. Chapter 8 Saying Goodbye III

_Thanks for continuing to read!_

_The third funeral – I couldn't do Fred justice – but here it is Good-bye Fred_

_One more chapter of funerals to go…_

_I don't own any of this. I'm just playing in the universe created by JKR_

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**Chapter 8 Saying Good-bye – Fred**

Upon arrival back at the Burrow, everyone went into the kitchen for lunch. No one really felt like eating, but Mrs. Weasley had insisted that everyone should eat something. They sat around the table, no one talking, mostly just pushing the food around on their plates, dreading the afternoon. Harry was sitting next to Ron as he usually did. Ron was ignoring him now as well. Harry sighed and wished he could talk to Ron before Fred's funeral but he knew there would be no way to get him alone, there just wasn't the time.

It seemed like they had just arrived at the Burrow when they were stacking their plates in the sink and preparing to leave. Harry wasn't sure where Fred's funeral actually was going to be. He was surprised when everyone walked down the lane and through the orchard. They came to a small graveyard, just outside the village. There, on the edge closest to the orchard was a freshly dug grave, surrounded by chairs. The coffin appeared to be covered in the Gryffindor flag. Harry looked around at the location; it really was a peaceful place.

Slowly, other stated to arrive. Harry noticed Lee, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, Oliver. Over further were Neville, Luna, Dean and Seamus. Harry noticed the crowd growing bigger and bigger as the distinctive pop of people apparating filled the air. Harry saw many students, regardless of house, from Fred and George's year as well as his and Ginny's years, arrive with their families. Harry stayed with the Weasley's, feeling like he was intruding on the family's grief as Mr. Weasley led a sobbing Mrs. Weasley to the front. Bill and Fleur followed, Bill leaning on his wife for support. Charley and Percy followed. Ron and Ginny, their arms around George followed the family. Harry seemed to hesitate, but Hermione took his hand and pulled slightly. The two followed the family. Hermione sat next to Ron, Harry took the seat on the other side of Hermione.

Again, that tufty-haired wizard asked for everyone's attention. The whispering and soft conversations ended. The wizard started as he always did, "We are gathered to celebrate the life of…" and Harry found his mind starting to wander as it had been prone to do during these past days. All too soon, Harry saw Lee come to the front and turn and face everyone. He heard Lee tell of some exploits of Fred's and heard some chuckles from those gathered. Harry was lost, thinking back to when he first met Fred on Platform 9 ¾.

Harry hadn't realized that Lee had stepped down and that Bill was talking. Harry was remembering Professor Dumbledore telling Harry that Fred and George had tried to send him a toilet seat. As Harry sat there, remembering Fred, he was only half aware of what was going on around him. He heard Mrs. Weasley crying, although she would occasionally laugh at something one of her sons had said. He saw Charlie get up to talk, then Percy. Harry remembered the ton-tongue toffee the twins had dropped for Dudley to find. Harry was aware that there were many people crying around him, and some laughing. He remembered visiting the joke shop for the first time as Ron walked to the front and said his good-bye to his brother. Ginny started talking as Harry remembered Fred taking charge and pulling his sister to safety at the World Cup, Fred asking Angelina to the Yule Ball. As Ginny returned to her seat, he heard his name being called. He saw Ron and Ginny's face turn to him in surprise.

Harry walked to the front and looked at Fred's coffin for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He had planned on just talking from the heart again, but found this was more difficult than he had thought it would be and just hoped he could get through this without crying. He knew that the others who spoke had been closer to Fred, had known him longer and had probably been more eloquent than Harry would be. Taking a deep breath, he turned and looked out at everyone. He saw the old Quidditch team, the DA, the order, all the Professors from Hogwarts, many of the shopkeepers from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and many more he couldn't identify in the time before his eyes started to tear. Harry took another deep breath to steady himself and started.

"I first meet Fred Weasley seven years ago. We were at King's Cross station and I was wondering how to get on the platform, when suddenly there was a family coming across the station. After the oldest son went through, the mother turned and told Fred it was his turn. Fred looked at his mother and said 'I'm not Fred. I'm George.' When the mom said that George should go next, Fred, as he started through the barrier said "just kidding, I am Fred.' After that, I asked their mother how to get on the platform and after showing me, I made it onto the platform. Once there, I saw the twins again and they helped me to load my trunk on the train and introduced themselves. I learned they were Fred and George Weasley. What I had no way of knowing was how important they would become to me in the coming years. They welcomed me into Gryffindor House and onto the Quidditch team, always willing to lend a hand. The end of the first year, when I was lying in the hospital recovering, they tried to send me a toilet seat." There was a strangled chuckle from Ginny.

Harry continued, "That summer, Ron, Fred and George rescued me from my aunt and uncle's house. That time at the Burrow, I got to know the family better and realized that Fred and George liked to make people laugh. I never thought how important that was. The coming year was difficult. But I could count on Fred and George to make me laugh. Over the years, through all the difficult times, Fred and George could make me laugh, make me see a lighter side. They stood behind me, supporting me, when many did not. I will always be grateful for their support, their love and their ability to find the humor in almost any situation."

Harry looked at George. "Most of my memories of Fred include his twin, George. And George, I was sitting here thinking, wherever Fred is," George had looked directly at Harry now. "Well, I like to think, since Fred was always such a prankster, he has joined with the other famous pranksters from Hogwarts." Harry and George both smiled slightly as Harry continued. "I believe that Fred has met with Prongs, Padfoot and Moony and that the four of them are continuing the pranks and jokes and bringing laughter to those around them." Harry turned to Fred's coffin and whispered, "Fred, I'll miss you."

Harry returned to his seat as Hermione went to say her good-bye. Harry watched her, but again, he didn't hear what she was saying as his mind drifted back. He remembered the day that Fred and George gave him the Maurader's Map. He remembered Fred and George growing beards after they crossed Dumbledore's age line. After Hermione sat back down, Harry watched as Fred's coffin was lowered into the ground. Harry remembered Fred and George's fantastic exit from Hogwarts during his fifth year. As Harry was remembering, he noticed that the fireworks were not in his memory. There was a fantastic display of fireworks going on in the sky above. The brilliant colors filled the sky, more spectacular than any Harry had seen before. He knew that it had to be a Weasley product. As the final explosions occurred, the letters FW appeared, and hung in the air for a few minutes before slowly fading. Harry looked back down and noticed that Fred's headstone had appeared.

Fred Weasley

1976 – 1998

I solemnly swear I'm Up to No Good

Soft conversation resumed as people started to stand. Harry watched as people came and hugged Mrs. Weasley, shook hands with Mr. Weasley and Fred's brothers, and hugged Ginny.

As the crowd thinned, the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione made their way back to the Burrow, surrounded by their closest friends from the order, Lee, Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Oliver. Chairs were conjured, and soon everyone had a seat. Conversation turned around Fred and George's pranks. As everyone took turns telling stories of how the twins had tricked them, the mood lightened. Laughter soon filled the air as story after story was exchanged. Harry was sitting next to Hermione, Ron on her other side. Ron looked around Harry and spoke so only they could hear, "I didn't know you were going to talk today."

"I was just asked last night," Harry told him. "And I didn't think to tell you this morning."

"It's OK," Ron replied. "When are you going to talk to Ginny?"

"I've tried, but she keeps walking away." Harry told him. "I thought I should give her some time."

Ron nodded and the three turned their attention back to the larger group. Stories were still being swapped. Harry looked around, seeing laughter along with tears on many faces. Yet, for as peaceful as Harry had been feeling, he suddenly remembered what tomorrow was going to bring. He felt the sadness and guilt coming back. Not wanting his mood to affect the others, he told his friends he was going to bed and he made his way into the house.


	9. Chapter 9 Saying Goodbye IV

_Thanks for reading and reviewing._

_The last of the funerals (thank goodness). Sorry if I concentrate on one of these more than the other, but I think one of these two would have had a greater effect on Harry than the other. _

_I do not own any of this. I am grateful to JKR for creating this wonderful universe I am playing in._

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**Chapter 9 – Saying Good-bye Remus and Tonks**

The next morning again dawned bright and sunny. Harry lay in his bed, not wanting to face the day. He wondered what cosmic force ensured the bright sunshine of the past two weeks. Slowly, Harry dressed, leaving Ron snoring in his bed and went downstairs. Some of the Weasley's were already in the kitchen, attempting to eat breakfast. "Morning" was mumbled all around as Harry sat next to Percy. He saw Ginny glance up at him, and the anger didn't seem as intense. Maybe she's starting to calm down and I'll be able to talk to her soon he thought.

Mrs. Weasley placed a plate full of bacon, sausage and eggs in front of Harry. Harry thanked her quietly. He didn't really feel like eating, but since Mrs. Weasley had gone to the effort, Harry forced himself to eat. Conversation was quiet this morning. When Harry finished, he put his plate into the sink. Harry stood at the sink for a moment, dreading the day before him. He turned and said his good-byes and left the Burrow.

Harry arrived moments later at Andromeda's house. He had told her he would come over after breakfast to be with Teddy so Andromeda could have some quiet time before the funerals today. Harry knocked on the door and was let in by Andromeda. She didn't look well this morning. Without saying a word to Harry, she let him in and went upstairs to her own bedroom. Harry spent the next two hours playing with his godson. Andromeda came downstairs, dressed in her dress robes and said it was time to get Teddy ready. Harry and Andromeda dressed Teddy together, Teddy laughing at them the whole time. When Teddy was changed, the three apparated to a little graveyard outside the town.

They were the first to arrive. Harry was carrying Teddy and he looked at the fresh dug graves, the coffins sitting next to them. The coffins were draped in the flags of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, respectively. Harry held tighter to Teddy. Harry was looking towards the coffins, but not really seeing them anymore as Teddy gurgled in his arms. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped.

"Hermione," he gasped.

"We were calling you, but you didn't answer," she told him. Harry looked around and noticed that the whole family had arrived. "Can I see Teddy?"

Harry turned Teddy so Hermione could see him. He knew Hermione wanted to hold him – but Harry didn't feel like letting Teddy go. Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley leaned down and kissed Teddy, but no one asked Harry if they could hold him. It was almost like they knew Harry felt like Teddy was the only thing keeping him calm, keeping him sane. Slowly, as they stood there, Harry noticed more people arriving. After too short of a time, Andromeda told Harry, "It's time."

Andromeda, escorted by Harry and Teddy made their way to the front and took a seat. Harry looked next to him when someone sat on the other side of him. Expecting it to be Hermione, he turned to whisper and stopped. Ginny was sitting between Hermione and him. Harry stared. Hermione had been next to him for the other funerals and he had been hoping she would be by his side again today. Of course, he would have preferred Ginny at his side all the time, but it hadn't happened and he wasn't sure what to make of her being there now. Before he could ask her anything, the tufty-haired wizard that Harry recognized so readily now called for everyone's attention. The muted conversation stopped as he began, "We are gathered to celebrate the lives of Nymphadora…."

Harry didn't pay attention anymore. It was a habit he had fallen into lately. He was only vaguely aware of what was being said as he remembered. He noticed Andromeda was crying softy next to him, unable to keep her proud composure any longer. Harry remembered his first meeting with Tonks, the advanced guard that had come to rescue him from Privet Drive. He remembered how she had packed for him, how she had made light of Mad-Eye's lecture on wand safety, how her hair flashed to red when she yelled at Remus to not call her Nymphadora. Harry noticed that a young witch he didn't know was talking; he assumed it was Tonks' friend from school. As Kingsley walked to the front, Harry remembered Remus and the first time they met on the Hogwarts Express. He remembered arriving at school and having Madame Pomfrey be amazed that there was finally a DADA teacher who knew his remedies. He remembered the private lessons on the Patronus Charm, finding out Remus was one of his Dad's friends. As the memories overtook Harry, the tears slid down his cheek. He saw Kingsley step down and was aware that meant he had to get up now. He held Teddy a little closer, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He looked to Andromeda to place Teddy in her arms, but saw that she was too overcome in tears. Harry started to panic, when Ginny whispered, "Here Harry" and reached her arms out to take the baby from him. As Teddy was transferred to Ginny, Ginny looked him in the eye, "You can do this" and she squeezed his hand before he stood.

Harry approached the front and stood facing the two coffins. Taking a deep breath, he turned and looked out at the sea of faces. There were many he recognized – the Weasleys, Kingsley, Hestia, Neville and his grandmother, Luna, Dean and most of the students from Hogwarts from the year Remus taught, the entire order, the DA, the entire staff of Hogwarts – and many more he didn't recognize, probably friends of Tonks from school or her job. His heart stopped as he looked at Teddy, smiling and peaceful in Ginny's arms. Ginny was staring at him and he thought he saw her nod slightly and he drew strength from her.

"The first time I met Remus was on the Hogwarts Express my third year. Remus had been hired to be our Defense against the Dark Arts professor. Over that year he taught, Remus inspired each and every one of us to do our best. He was patient and caring, encouraging us all until we had achieved our best. Through the year, I got to know Remus. He always had a kind word of encouragement, knowing just what to say to make the day better, to encourage and inspire. As a professor, we all respected him. I learned he was a friend of my father's, and I was thrilled to meet someone who could tell me about my parents. I eventually learned that he was actually one of my father's best friends, and I think that made me want to know him better, for that connection to my parents that I had never known. My third year ended and Remus left his job, because people were afraid of what he was. However, as I watched him leave, all I saw was a man who I had grown to respect, to admire, a man who held his head high as he left. I saw the courage he needed to face a world that feared him." Harry had tears running down his face as he spoke.

"Over the next few years, I often wished I could've gotten to know Remus better. I saw him a few times a year, and he was always willing to advise, to offer his opinion and to share a story with me. He never stopped encouraging me, supporting me and inspiring me. But his work for the order kept him away a lot. I saw the courage I had seen earlier as he carried out dangerous assignments. I saw him struggle with the idea that someone could love him and that he could have a happy life. Others had taught him that he shouldn't expect happiness, so I think he was genuinely surprised to find that someone could love him and that he could be truly happy. During one of our conversations, he had told me he had never been happier than the years he spent at Hogwarts, where he had met his first true friends who believed in him and were always there for him – my father and Sirius. I know that if we had a similar conversation recently, the happiest years of his life would be the last couple of years as he met and fell in love with Tonks. And the happiest day of his life would be the day his son was born. Remus was happier than I have ever seen anyone in my life. In the middle of the war, there was Remus, happy and proud to be a father. I was so happy for him and Tonks." Harry looked at Teddy who was gurgling and waving his arms in Ginny's arms. Harry smiled through his tears.

"Remus believed the world could be a better place. It was his and Tonks' hope that Teddy would grow up in a world free of prejudice, so he could have a happy life. That was what Remus and Tonks were fighting for – a better world. It is a wish I hope we can make true. Remus was a kind, gentle, patient man. He was brave. He was mischievous, pulling some pranks and getting into trouble in school. At the end of my third year, Remus told me he was proud of me. He was the first person who ever told me that they were proud of me. I just hope Remus knows how proud I was to be his friend, how proud I am to have known him." Harry turned and looked at the coffins sitting behind him. Softly, he whispered "The Marauders are reunited at last. I will always miss you." Tears were streaming down his face as he turned to go back to his seat.

Harry took his seat. Ginny handed Teddy back to Harry. Harry held Teddy close as the tufty-haired wizard spoke some more words. Harry was not hearing what he said, not seeing anything as he remembered Remus on the night Teddy was born, and asking him to be godfather. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and faintly realized it belonged to Ginny. Through his tears, he saw the coffins being lowered into the ground. Harry held Teddy up so he could see, knowing Teddy didn't really know what was going on. He watched as the coffins were covered and the headstones magically appeared.

Harry realized people were starting to get up. He knew that they were going to go back to Andromeda's. People came and shook his hand; he didn't know all of them. He just stayed next to Andromeda, holding Teddy and nodding as people walked by. He vaguely felt Ginny still next to him, and Ron and Hermione standing behind them. Finally, Andromeda turned and said that they should be getting back to the house.

Harry turned to look at her. "Can I have a few minutes? I'll be along shortly."

Andromeda nodded, "Do you want me to take Teddy with me?"

"No, I'll bring him if it's OK," Harry replied. "I want to talk to him alone for a few minutes."

Andromeda nodded. The Weasleys and Andromeda left. Harry turned and walked to the graves. He knelt down next to Remus's grave, glancing briefly at Tonks, but not really seeing it. He was sorry she was gone, but at this moment, his grief was greater for Remus. He had never really talked to Remus since that awful night in Grimmauld Place, never told him he was sorry, never told him how much Remus had meant to him over the years. He used his free hand to trace the words closest to him on the stone:

Remus John Lupin

"Moony"

1960-1998

He looked at Teddy in his arms. "Remus, I am so sorry. I wish you were here, for Teddy, for me. I promise you that I will be a good godfather to him. You trusted me to this big job. He will be loved and happy and surrounded by family who loves him. I will tell him everything I know about both of you so he knows how wonderful you were. He will be proud to say he is your son. I will always be there for him, no matter what happens. He is part of my family just like you were. And he will still miss you. I will always miss you. " Harry knelt there for a while, tears softly falling out of his eyes, Teddy cooing contently in his arms.

Harry got up and walked out of the graveyard. As he approached the gate, he saw two familiar figures waiting for him. He smiled at Hermione and Ron, glad that they had again waited. Harry knew the pain was not over, but that the healing had begun. The four of them apparated to Andromeda's, to where their family and friends waited for them.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for reading and all the reviews!_

_It's actually been harder writing these next few chapters to transition from the grief immedialtely after the battle ti starting to move on and adjust to their new life._

_I don't own any of this...just playing in the universe created by the brilliant JKR_

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**Chapter 10**

After the funerals, life had fallen into a certain pattern. Hermione had left for two weeks to track her parents down in Australia. She had returned home and Harry and Hermione were living at the Burrow. Harry visited Teddy twice a week, sometimes alone, sometimes with Ron and Hermione. Andromeda and Teddy came to the Burrow for a big family dinner once a week, along with the entire Weasley family. Life seemed to be falling in place. Laughter was slowly returning to the Burrow, not as loud as before, but wounds were healing.

Ginny was no longer ignoring Harry. But, she wasn't exactly talking to him either. He finally began to realize how much his breaking up with her, his leaving her, had hurt her. He remembered the nights he sat watching her dot on the Maurader's Map and realized that she had been hurting as much as he had been. Harry was frustrated because he had dreams of Ginny running into his arms and living happy ever after. He slowly realized that the work to rebuild the Wizarding world was minor compared to the work to rebuild his relationship.

It was the third week in July. The war had ended almost two months ago, at the beginning of June. Harry, Ron and Hermione still had nightmares. They weren't as bad as they had been weeks earlier. They had finally dimmed to once or twice a week for Ron and Hermione. Harry still woke up once or twice a night, soaked in sweat, reaching for his wand. Harry wondered often when they would go away. He was alone in the orchard thinking. Ron and Hermione had taken a walk, looking for some alone time. Harry was mostly happy for them, but a little jealous at the same time. Harry was thinking about what the future was to bring. He had concentrated so hard on defeating Voldemort, he was really unsure what he wanted to do next. He never really imagined a life after Voldemort, except that it would be with Ginny.

Ginny approached the orchard, heading towards Harry. She really just wanted to see him. She was still angry and hurting. But sometimes when she hadn't seen him in a few hours, she started to get anxious and was afraid she wouldn't see him again. She had spent a year with these feelings and couldn't live with it any longer. Even though they didn't talk much, sometimes, just seeing him seemed to ease the pain and fear. She finally found him sitting under a tree.

"Mind if I join you," she asked hesitantly.

Harry jumped, startled to hear her voice. "Please, sit down," he stammered, not sure what to think or feel. She had never come looking for him before unless ordered by her mother, never talked to him first, never initiated any kind of contact and Harry was nervous. Ginny sat next to the tree across from Harry. They both looked at each other, then away. Both were afraid to make eye contact.

Daring to be the first to speak, Harry started, "I'm sorry."

Ginny looked at him. "What for?"

Harry looked back at her, directly into her eyes. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he knew that nothing worth having was easy. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for hurting you this past year. I'm sorry I broke it off with you. I was so afraid that you would be hurt if we stayed together, so afraid that you would be a target if we were still together. I realize now that you would have been a target anyway. But I thought I could keep you safe. I realize how much you were hurting, but I honestly thought your safety was more important. Breaking up with you was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I missed you so much this past year. I was so afraid for you whenever I heard stories coming from Hogwarts. I just wanted you safe."

"Harry," Ginny interrupted.

"No, Ginny, please let me finish," Harry said. "Every night we were apart, when I got in my sleeping bag, I took out the map and watched you. I just stared at the dot that said Ginny Weasley. It was my way of making sure you were safe. I looked at the dot and thought of you, hoping it would make you think of me. I don't know what's going to happen now. I never thought much of life after Voldemort. The only part of that life I had ever really thought of was that it would be with you. I know you're mad at me. You should be. I was stupid. I just want you to know that I'm here. I'll be the one waiting for you this time."

"Harry," Ginny replied. "You're right. I am angry, hurting. But I still care about you. It's been so confusing these past weeks. I've wanted to yell at you, hurt you and hold you and never let you go again all at the same time. Maybe we can start again as friends."

Harry smiled. "That worked the first time."

Ginny and Harry sat there, silently. Harry was able to hope for the first time since the war had ended that he could have a happy future. Ron and Hermione joined them and the four sat in silence, just being with each other.

Ginny broke the silence, "You know that the three of you promised everyone you would tell them what you had been doing this past year. Do you remember?"

The three looked at each other uneasily. "We remember Ginny." Harry replied. "We're just not sure how to begin, how much everyone knows."

Hermione gave a little sigh, "we're also still scared."

"When?" Ginny asked. "I think everyone is losing patience. We thought you would have told us by now. It's been almost two months."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. No one knew what to say. They all knew that the family was expecting answers to what had been going on this past year. They were actually surprised that no one had asked before now. But, they really didn't know how to talk about it. Harry had only ever shared what happened with Ron and Hermione. Ron had shared some of the highlights with his parents each summer. But they had never really talked about what was going on with the whole family, never shared the terror. But they knew that hey had to keep their promise. With a look at Ron and Hermione, Harry answered with one word – "Soon."

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the next two days together. The weekly family dinner was coming up and since Ginny had asked again, they figured they better be ready to talk soon. Harry really didn't want to make any one else mad. They talked a lot about how they should tell the story – where do they begin? Harry insisted that Ron and Hermione had to help him – he couldn't tell it on his own. The big question was were to begin – they all had different ideas of how to procceed. In the end, they gave in and agreed to Hermione's plan.

That Sunday was one of those perfect summer days. The sun was out, birds were singing – it was a fairytale kind of day. But, Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't notice. They fidgeted. They couldn't sit still. They looked at each other, nervously. As the rest of the family arrived, they mumbled their hellos and refused to make eye contact. The family looked at them, worried. They didn't know what to make of the way they were acting. Andromeda was the one who finally asked.

"Just what is wrong with you today?" she demanded.

"What do you mean?" Harry answered, not aware of who he was talking to.

"Usually when Teddy and I arrive, you take him out of my arms before I am even in the door. Today, you barely acknowledged that we existed."

Harry looked at her. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. "I'm sorry," he said softly. He walked over to Teddy who was being held by Mr. Weasley. "I'm sorry Teddy," Harry whispered as he kissed Teddy on the cheek. The three month old reached for Harry's glasses as Harry stood up. "I've just been thinking." He gestured to Ron and Hermione, "we all have been.  
"Are you going to share these thoughts," Bill asked when Harry paused again.

Hermione was the one to answer, "After dinner. We thought it was time we answered some questions."

The Weasley's and Andromeda looked around at the three of them. Andromeda didn't know what questions Hermione was referring to. The Weasleys did. They all looked surprised. Mrs. Weasley announced that dinner was ready.

Dinner that evening was an interesting affair. Conversation flowed easily for all but the trio. Mrs. Weasley's food, usually so delicious and comforting, was hard to swallow. Even Ron seemed to be having a hard time eating. Harry was nervous. He had never talked about this story with anyone but Ron and Hermione, never shared the true nature of what had happened over the years with anyone but them. After what seemed like ages, dinner was over.

Harry spoke, "A few weeks ago, Ron, Hermione and I promised you that we would tell you what we had been doing this past year, that we would answer all of your questions. We know you were hoping for answers to your questions before now. I'm sorry it's taken so long. We've been talking and we think we're ready now."

Harry hesitated. In that pause, Mr. Weasley spoke, "Why don't we go into the sitting room? We can be more comfortable in there while you talk."

He led the family, Andromeda and Hermione into the sitting room. While everyone was finding a seat, Harry had ran upstairs. He returned carrying a basin. He had owled Professor McGonagall asking if he could borrow it for the evening. Hermione and Ron had convinced him that some things would be easier if shown. Everyone found seats, except for Ron, Harry and Hermione. They sat on the floor, in front of everyone.

"I'm not sure where to begin." He started. "We've spent the last few days trying to figure out how to tell the story. We thought of starting when we left the day of the wedding, but realized that we would have to backtrack a lot to fill in the blanks." Harry looked around, all eyes were staring at him.

Ron continued, "A lot of things happened when we at Hogwarts that play an important part in the past year. We never told you the truth about everything that happened those years. Probably the only year that you know the whole truth about is our second and fourth year, maybe our third year as well, depending on what Professor Dumbledore told you and what Mum and Dad shared with the rest of you."

Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley looked confused. "What do you mean?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Harry looked at them. "Everything that happened every year I was in school, wondering in the forest, sneaking out of school, every injury, every accident was connected to Voldemort." He stated plainly and clearly. He saw the surprised confused looks on Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy, George, Ginny and Andromeda's face.


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry this took so long to get posted. I kept changing my mind about how much of the story he was really going to tell. _

_Thanks for reading and the reviews!_

_I do not own anything. It is all owned by the brilliant JK Rowling!_

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**Chapter 11**

As they sat there, they took turns telling the story. Hermione had convinced Harry and Ron that they needed to tell them everything – starting from their first year. It had taken quite a few arguments before Harry finally relented. Harry felt weird to be talking about his life like this. They started with how they pieced together the puzzle of the Sorcerer's Stone. They told of that night in the forest when Harry saw the dead unicorn and met Firenze. They told of how they got past Fluffy, the chess set and the other obstacles the teacher's had set. Harry spoke of finding Quirrell in the last room, finding the stone in the mirror, fighting Quirrell, of Voldemort sharing a body with Quirrell. He told of his conversation with Professor Dumbledore about his mother's sacrifice.

Harry paused. He told of Dobby showing up at his house, the warning to not return to school. He paused again. Ron picked up, telling about the events of the year. Harry kept his eyes on Ginny. Ron had made it to the part where they had entered Myrtle's bathroom and jumped into the chamber. Ron told about Lockhart attempting to use Ron's wand for a memory charm and how it backfired, separating Harry from them. Ron stopped talking and looked at Harry, whose eyes had never left Ginny's. Hermione continued, "We asked Professor McGonagall to borrow the Pensieve so we can show you parts of what happened, parts that become especially important later." Harry walked over to the Pensieve, and extracted out a memory. He placed it in the basin and tapped it as Dumbledore had done in his fifth year. The memory rose above the basin. The whole family watched as Harry entered the Chamber and ran to Ginny. They watched as Tom Riddle told Harry that Ginny would never wake up, as he taunted Harry, as he told Harry that he was Lord Voldemort. They watched as the basilisk was summoned and Harry fought it. They gasped when the fang sank into Harry's arms as he killed the basilisk They watched Harry suddenly take the fang and destroy the diary. They saw Ginny waking up, Fawkes tears healing Harry's arm, Harry and Ginny leaving the chamber. Harry stopped the memory. Harry had kept his eyes on Ginny. She was crying as she watched. Harry walked over to her. He reached out and pulled her into a hug, whispering softly to her. As they sat there, Harry spoke, "Two things need explaining. That sword appeared in the hat was the sword of Gryffindor. And the diary was destroyed by the basilisk's fang. Oh, and I tricked Mr. Malfoy into freeing Dobby."Harry chuckled softly at that memory. Ginny had stopped crying and pulled away from Harry, whispering that she was ok. Harry moved back with Ron and Hermione.

"The following year was pretty uneventful, in the grand scheme of things." Harry continued. "It was actually the only year that I didn't come face to face with Voldemort." Harry heard gasps all around and he thought he heard a whispered "the only year?" coming from Mrs. Weasley. Harry continued, "Although, I don't think Professor Dumbledore considered the echo from the diary to be a confrontation with Voldemort. Our third year was the year that I finally found out the truth of how my parents died and how it was Peter, not Sirius, who had betrayed them. I believe you already know this story, so we can skip ahead to our fourth year."

"Harry," Andromeda interrupted. "I never did find about out Sirius."

Harry looked at her and remembered that they were cousins. He took a deep breath, but this time, Hermione told the story of how Sirius had talked James into switching secret keeper to Peter and not told anyone, how Peter had faked his own death and framed Sirius. She told of how Sirius figured out Peter was alive and after Harry, of how he escaped. She told of how Peter had lived for 12 years as Scabbers, Percy's pet. Percy gasped; it seemed that detail had never been told. Hermione told of the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack, how Harry spared Peter's life so he could be turned over to Azkaban and Sirius cleared. She told of how Peter escaped because it was the full moon and Remus had transformed. They were asked how Sirius managed to escape. Hermione and Harry looked at each other. Harry replied, "That is one question, and probably the only one, that we won't answer. Too many people could be hurt if we did." Harry didn't want to tell everyone about the time turner. "And now that I think about it, some very important things happened that year. I found Sirius and Remus, learned the Patronus Charm and spared Peter's life. That will become significant later."

Ron started again, "Our fourth year was a tough one. I spent a good deal of time at the beginning mad at Harry, thinking he put his name in for the tri-wizard tournament. Mad-eye had trained Sirius well. Sirius kept telling Harry to be careful, keep his eyes open."

Harry looked around. He had just placed another memory in the Pensieve. "The most important event of this year was Voldemort's return to a body. I know you all know that he returned. When I was in the graveyard, some things happened that are important." Harry tapped the Pensieve again, tensing. This memory gave him nightmares still, three years later. "This memory is one of my worst." And the memory started with Cedric asking if Harry had known about the portkey. As the memory played, Harry felt Ron and Hermione move closer to him, offering him what support they could. Everyone flinched when they heard "Kill the spare", followed by the curse and Cedric falling to the ground. Harry tensed as he watched his memory play out. He watched as Peter performed the ritual to bring Voldemort back, rubbing his arm as he watched Peter slice into it to get his blood. Harry wasn't paying attention to the people around him who sat, watching in terror, some crying. Harry only had eyes for his memory. He watched as Voldemort called the Death Eaters and announced his return. Harry trembled slightly as Voldemort forced him to duel. Ron and Hermione each had their hand on Harry's shoulder now, offering him what comfort they could. Harry watched his wand lock with Voldemort and the Priori Incantatem effect. Harry heard gasps as everyone watched the echoes of Cedric, Frank Bryce, Bertha Jorkins, his Mum, then finally his Dad emerge. Harry had closed his eyes; he lived this too often in his nightmares to watch now. His memory of escape and arriving back continued to play. He heard Mad-Eye pulling him off, heard Dumbledore break into the office, finding the real Mad-Eye in his trunk, of hearing Barty Couch Jr's confession. Harry let the memory continue to play out as Dumbledore took him to his office where he told Dumbledore and Sirius what happened, going to the hospital wing and the confrontation with Fudge. Harry watched as Fudge left the hospital and Dumbledore recalled the Order right there. Harry watched as Bill, then Professor McGonagall, then Madame Pomfrey, then Sirius, then Snape, and finally Dumbledore left and he was alone in the hospital with Ron, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. Harry watched as Mrs. Weasley tried to give him his potion and his guilt started to overwhelm him. He watched in his memory as Mrs. Weasley hugged him. It was at that point that Harry stopped the memory. Harry, eyes fixed on where his memories had played out, took deep breaths, attempting to stay in control. He didn't look around, didn't see the look of fear and astonishment on the faces of the others.

"Harry, why did you let the memory play so long," Hermione asked. "I thought you were going to stop it when you left Dumbledore's office."

Harry smiled slightly, glancing at Mrs. Weasley, "I still get nightmares of what happened in the graveyard. I always wake up, terrified. I thought that I would just let the memory go until the point where I started to feel safe again." Mrs. Weasley smiled slightly.

Ron continued their tale, "You pretty much know what happened the following year, the dementor's attack on Harry and Dudley, Umbridge taking over the school, forming the DA. Looking back over the year, the only thing we figured was important was the contents of the prophecy."

"But the prophecy broke," Ginny said, suddenly. "Neville said he dropped it."

"Yes, it broke," Harry said. "But the prophecy had been told to Dumbledore and after what happened at the Ministry, he finally told me." With that, Harry extracted another memory and placed it in the Pensieve. Harry watched as Professor Trelawney made the prophecy that would shape his life. After she finished, Harry continued, "The first part of the prophecy was overheard by a Death Eater. He took the information back to Voldemort. Upon hearing the Prophecy, Voldemort singled me out and attempted to kill me when I was a baby. Instead, he only succeeded in killing my parents."

"During out sixth year, the most important thing that happened was my private lessons with Professor Dumbledore," Harry continued. "Professor Dumbledore actually shared everything he had been able to discover about Voldemort with me. And what he knew needed to be done to defeat Voldemort. He taught me Tom Riddle's personal history, about his mother's abuse at his grandfather's hands, how his grandfather abhorred anything to do with muggles, how Merope had married Tom Riddle Sr – a muggle - and how he had left her, claiming to have been hoodwinked. He told of how Merope had given birth in a muggle orphan, alone and penniless, and how she died shortly after giving birth. He told of how Tom was raised in an orphanage, and his reaction to finding out he was a wizard. He could see the confused look on everyone's face - wondering what this had to do with anything, but they remained silent, patient. Harry continued to tell the story of Tom Riddle, as Professoe Dumbledore had told the story to Harry, of how he killed the riddle family, framing his uncle for it. He told of how he wanted to teach at Hogwarts, but instead went to work at Borgin and Burkes. He told of his visit to Hepzabah Smith and the treasures she showed Tom. He told of how Hepzabah had been killed, her house elf confessing to the crime that Dumbledore believed Tom had committed. He told of how Tom came to ask Professor Dumbledore for a job, and that after it was refused, no one held the DADA job for longer than a year.

Harry approached the Pensieve once more. "This last memory took awhile to get. This last one is the key to understanding what everything we've told you means, what had to be done to defeat Tom." And Harry again extracted a memory and placed it in the basin. This was the memory of Harry telling Professor Dumbledore that he had finally been able to get the memory from Professor Slughorn, and the two of them watching Slughorn's memory – the whole family watching Slughorn and Tom's discussion about Horcruxes. He let the memory play out while Professor Dumbledore discussed the horcruxes and the belief that there were seven of them. Harry heard gasps from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny when Professor Dumbledore admitted that the diary was a horcrux. The memory ran into the prophecy and why Harry would continue fighting despite the prophecy. The memory faded away.

Harry took a deep breath, and continued, "This next memory is from the night Professor Dumbledore died. It starts earlier in the evening…" Harry deposited another memory in the Pensieve. This time he started with his meeting of Professor Trelawney and finding out that it was Professor Snape who had heard the prophecy and told Voldemort. Everyone watched as Professor Dumbledore and Harry argued, how Professor Dumbledore insisted that he trusted Professor Snape with his life. They watched Harry agree to the rules Professor Dumbledore set – that Harry would obey any and all orders given to him regardless of what they were. The memory shifted as Harry and Professor Dumbledore left Hogwarts and entered Hogsmeade. They watched them disapparate and appear at the cliff. They watched them swim and enter the cave. Harry closed his eyes, not wanting to relive this memory, knowing what was to come. Harry listened to the memory, knowing Dumbledore was cutting himself to make a blood payment, entering the cavern with the lake, Dumbledore pulling the boat, crossing the lake. Finally, Harry heard their conversation as they looked in the basin. Harry cringed as he heard Professor Dumbledore drink the potion. He heard the gasps of those around him as Harry continued to feed the potion to Professor Dumbledore. Harry opened his eyes and watched as the Inferri rose and came after them, how Professor Dumbledore was able to save them with the ring of fire. He watched them cross the lake, exit the cliff and swim back to shore. Harry watched as they apparated back to Hogsmeade. Harry wouldn't, couldn't look at anyone as he allowed this memory to continue. He watched as Professor Dumbledore and he flew back to Hogwarts and arrived at the Tower. He watched as he was put under the body bind curse as Draco entered the tower. He watched the interaction between Draco and Professor Dumbledore. They watched as more Death Eaters entered the tower, as Snape entered and killed Professor Dumbledore, as Snape took Draco and fled, Harry in pursuit. Harry let the memory play until he knelt next to Professor Dumbledore, picked up the locket and found it a fake.

Harry, Ron and Hermione slowly looked around. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Fleur had tears falling. The rest of the family looked shocked, with a twinge of horror mixed in. The silence seemed to last forever. It was George who broke the silence, "Harry, after all of that, how did you ever consider Hogwarts your home?"

Harry chuckled. "Well, I do have good memories, too, you know. And Hogwarts is the place where I found my friends, my family. It was the first place I was happy. In my first year, I met my two best friends. You and Fred were always around for a laugh. Every year there was good times along with the bad. But, the things that explain what happened last year, what we did, how we did it, they're all connected to the worse memories."

Mr. Weasley looked around at everyone. There was a tension in the air that couldn't be described. Most were thinking of the night Dumbledore had died, the hopelessness of that night, and the dark days that had followed. "How about if we get some tea before continuing?" he suggested. Everyone agreed and Mrs. Weasley and Fleur went to get the tea.

Harry appreciated the break. He had never forgotten what had happened, what led him to the past year. But reliving it tonight, even surrounded by his family, was harder than he thought it would be. He heard Teddy making baby sounds in Andromeda's lap. He sat down on the floor in front if them and started playing with Teddy. He was grateful for the break. He needed it – and he suspected Ron and Hermione did as well. Teddy started laughing at Harry. "This is what we fought for," Harry thought. "SO he never lives with the same fears we did."

The tea was served and the family drank it, quietly. They had just heard an unbelievable tale and while they wanted to know the remainder of the story, they knew now that nothing in their imagination could prepare them for what Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone through the past year. They enjoyed the silence, waiting for Harry, Ron and Hermione to begin the rest of their story.


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_Sorry this chapter took so long – it was hard to get right! The next chapter should be up quicker._

_I don't own any of this! It all belongs to the wonderfully brilliant JKR!_

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**Chapter 12 The Past Year**

The tea was gone. Harry and Ron were playing with Teddy on the floor. Everyone was looking at them, waiting. Taking a deep breath, Harry picked Teddy up, kissed him and placed him back into his grandmother's arm. "I guess we should continue," he started.

"Our plan was simple," Harry began. "Find the horcruxes and destroy them. We needed to find out who RAB was and the real locket. We needed to find Hufflepuff's cup and something belonging to Gryffindor or Ravenclaw and destroy them. Then, we would kill Nagini and finally be able to defeat Voldemort." Harry smiled. "That was our complete plan; we knew nothing else about what we were going to do."  
"WHAT???" gasped Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Bill and George. Mr. Weasley continued, "You must have had some idea?"

"We had less in previous years before we started investigating," Hermione said. "However, I had obtained a copy of a book about Dark Arts that explained how to destroy horcruxes. But, we really didn't have that good of a plan the night we left."

"But, we went to Grimmauld Place after the wedding and by sheer luck, the next morning we had our first success. We figured out that RAB was Regulas Arcturus Black – Sirius's younger brother. Do any of you remember that locket from the cabinet in the drawing room that we couldn't open?" Ron had continued. There were nods from George, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley.

Ron continued, "Turns out that locket we all tried to pry open was a horcrux belonging to Voldemort." Mrs. Weasley shuddered. "We found out how Voldemort took Kreacher to the cave and made him drink the potion and then left him." Ron went on to explain how Kreacher returned to Grimmauld place, how Regulas found out the truth. Ron told the story of Regulas taking Kreacher to the cave and drinking the potion, sending Kreacher away with the real locket with orders to destroy it and tell no one. He told of how Kreacher tried to destroy the locket and was unable. He finally told of how Mundungus Fletcher stole the locket along with other Black family heirlooms and sending Kreacher to find Mundungus. He ended, "We really got lucky stumbling onto the information that way."

Harry agreed and picked up the story. "It took a couple of days, but Kreacher finally returned with Mundungus. We found that he had not sold the locket. He was confronted by a lady in Diagon Alley asking if he had a license for trading in magical artifacts." There was laughter all around as everyone tried to imagine Mundungus with a license for anything. Harry continued, "The lady let him off because she took a liking to a locket, so she took it for herself." Harry smiled, wondering the reaction, "He described her as a little woman, bow on top of her head and looking like a toad."

"Umbridge" both Ginny and George exclaimed.

"Correct," Hermione answered. "So, we started planning how we could get the locket from her. It was really obvious. We watched and planned the entire month of August. Finally, we put our first plan into effect on September 2nd at the ministry."

Mr. Weasley gasped, "That was you."

Harry chuckled, "Yes, it was. We used polyjuice potion. Hermione became Mafalda Hopkirk, Ron became Reg Cattermole and I became Runcorn."

"You…" Mr. Weasley was looking at Harry.

"I had been in Umbridge's office and saw your file. When we were alone in the elevator, I wanted to warn you. But I wasn't sure how," Harry answered. Mr. Weasley just looked at Harry in surprise. Harry continued, "I did take Mad-Eye's magical eye off of her door. I buried it later in the woods. When I couldn't find the locket in the office, I knew I had to get Ron and Hermione and continue the search. Hermione was in the courtrooms with Umbridge, so I went down to the courtrooms. That's when I ran into Mr. Weasley – and you too, Percy." Harry smiled, despite the story he was telling. "What I found in those courtrooms…well, it was unbelievable." Harry looked at Hermione and she nodded slightly. Harry deposited this memory in the Pensieve. They watched as Harry approached the courtrooms, as he approached the corridor with the muggle-borns and dementors. The family gasped at the sight. Harry heard whispered "I had no idea" coming from around him. They watched him enter the courtroom and watched the hearing unfold. He approached Hermione and they saw the locket together. They watched as Harry stunned Umbridge and Yaxley. They watched Hermione get the locket, conjure a new one. The memory played as Harry, Ron and Hermione made their escape, freeing all the muggle-born wizards that were in for hearings that day. Harry stopped the memory as they apparated away.

"We learned an important lesson that day – no matter how much you plan, something will go wrong." Ron stated as the memory faded. "We weren't able to go back to Grimmauld Place. We ended up in the woods near the Quidditch Cup."

"While we there, I saw into Voldemort's mind again, watching what he was doing." Harry told them. "It happened quite a bit this past year. Most of the times, I was fortunate because I saw something that would help later. I had that connection the night I escaped Privet Drive. I had another one that day. The first one was Voldemort torturing Olivander about why my wand overpowered his that night. This time, I saw Voldemort and Gregorovitch arguing on the location of something."

Ron continued, knowing that this part of the story was his and while he was ashamed of his actions, he knew it had to be told. "We moved around a lot so we couldn't be found. We took turns wearing the locket. It affected us when we wore it – Harry couldn't conjure his patronus, Hermione got a little short tempered and quieter, but I became moody, mean, angry…" Ron took a deep breathe, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy. "One night, we got into a fight about food – I complained about how horrible it was. It was a night I was wearing the locket. We heard sounds outside, and we used Extendable Ears and were able to overhear a conversation between Griphook, Gornuck, Ted Tonks, Dean Thomas and Dirk Cresswell. We heard about Ginny, Luna and Neville trying to steal the sword and getting punished. Afterwards, Hermione had the picture of Phineas Nigellus…"Ron faltered. "Harry, just show the memory, I can't…" Hermione put her arms around Ron and looked at Harry, nodding.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. Ron hesitated, but nodded. Harry extracted the memory and placed it in the Pensieve. "But, I'm also showing how you saved us," he told Ron, before starting the memory. The memory started with what Ron had already told them – the argument about Hermione's food. It played through the overheard conversation about Ginny, Neville and Luna. The memory showed Hermione and Harry talking to Phineas Nigellus, learning about how Dumbledore destroyed the ring. It showed Harry and Hermione's elation in learning something to help them on their mission. Then, the part the trio was dreading. None of the three watched as Ron exploded at Harry. Ginny looked at her brother in disgust as he yelled at Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's face was full of disappointment as Hermione was forced to put a shield charm between Ron and the two of them. They watched, horrified, as Ron left.

The silence seemed to stretch on. Wanting to get through this without anymore harm to Ron, Hermione broke the silence, "Harry and I continued moving from place to place to avoid detection. We tried to figure out where the real sword was, where Dumbledore might have hidden it. Finally, I relented and agreed that we should go where Harry wanted to go in the first place – Godric's Hollow. We made plans, deciding to use polyjuice potion. We finally were ready, able to apparate underneath the cloak. We arrived in Godric's Hollow one evening and discovered that we had lost track of time – it was Christmas Eve." Her voice faltered as she looked at Harry.

Harry took a deep breath, remembering that night he visited his parents grave for the first time. "We went to the graveyard because I wanted to see my parents' grave. Afterwards, we were going to try and find Bathilda Bagshoot. She lived there and we thought she may have some answers for us. We wanted to know what the symbol that Krum had said was Grindelwald's mark meant because it kept popping up. We were also hoping she knew what direction to point us in in our search for the sword since she knew Dumbledore and my Mum and Dad."

Harry looked around, "Remember, Remus had said that we would see magic we had never imagined before – and this is one of the best examples of that we saw this past year." Harry hesitated as he placed yet another memory in the Pensieve. He was actually glad to have the Pensieve, because it meant he didn't have to talk, he could just watch and remember. The memory started as a figure approached them, and they followed her to her house. Everyone stared, transfixed as they entered Bathilda's house and looked around. Harry and Bathilda went upstairs and Harry heard the words 'hold him' in his head, his connection with Voldemort. He heard the gasps in horror as Bathilda was replaced by Nagini, heard Hermione's exclamation as well. Harry's eyes closed as the memory played, the fight between Nagini, Harry and Hermione, of Voldemort's arrival and their narrow escape. Harry stopped the memory as his connection to Voldemort solidified – he was not showing everyone his parents' murder.

"Harry, what was that you stopped?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Voldemort and I connected and I was in his mind as we apparated away." Harry told her. "I was able to see, from his eyes, his approach to Godric's Hollow, and everything that happened the night he tried to kill me, when he killed my parents," Harry told her, while everyone else looked on, horrified at what they had seen, at the thought of what Harry had to endure. He saw the look of sorrow on Mrs. Weasley's face, her eyes trying to catch his, but he couldn't allow them to connect – his emotions were too raw, too close to breaking. "Well, there was magic we had never imagined, just like Remus warned us. Hermione, can you continue with the next part?" Harry just wanted to close his eyes and think for a moment. That memory had taken more from him than he wanted to admit. He wanted comfort from Ginny's arms around him as Hermione's had been around Ron but knew that it wasn't yet possible. Instead, he had found comfort in a surprising place these past few weeks and he sought it now. He took the now sleeping Teddy in his arms and held him close for a few minutes. Holding Teddy gave him hope for a future, and watching the sleeping infant's face brought Harry the peace he needed.

Hermione took a deep breath, "I had used a Blasting Curse that rebounded. It broke Harry's wand. I was unable to repair it. I told Harry I didn't think we could because of what happened when Ron broke his wand crashing the car. Harry and I then read parts of the book on Professor Dumbledore's life, the chapter about his friendship with Grindelwald. We argued over what kind of person Professor Dumbledore was – if Rita was telling the truth or stretching it or whatever. We moved the next day to the Forest of Dean."

Harry was at the Pensieve, still holding a sleeping Teddy, and had placed another memory in it. The memory started without Harry saying a word. Everyone watched Harry sitting on guard, brooding. They watched a silver doe approach, watched Harry follow it to the clearing. They watched as Harry saw the sword in the pool of water. They watched Harry jump in and almost drown until someone pulled him up, gasping as those words "are you mental" were uttered by Ron. Everyone looked at him, confused. They turned their attention back to Harry's memory as Ron asked if he could come back, as Harry searched to see if the person who had conjured the Patronus was still around. They watched as Harry told Ron that he was going to open the locket and that Ron should stab it. They watched as Ron argued. Ron finally relented and as Harry said, "One, two, three, open", the memory stopped. Harry looked at Ron, whose face was full of relief that no one would see what the locket had done. Harry told everyone, "What came from that locket was pure evil and Ron battled it and his own worse fears. He was able to destroy the locket. We returned to the tent and Hermione and Ron had a fight. Ron explained to us what happened when he left. Since that's his story," Harry turned to Ron.

Ron looked around, not sure how to tell the story of his betrayal and return. Taking a deep breath, he started. "The night I left, I apparated away in anger. I regretted it as soon as I did it, but I walked into a bunch of Snatchers. I got away, but couldn't find Harry and Hermione when I tried to get back to them – the protections we were using work really well. I didn't know what to do, so I went to Shell Cottage and stayed with Bill and Fleur – I couldn't face the disappointment from the rest of you. On Christmas morning, I heard Hermione's voice saying my name and something about a wand come from the Deluminator. It helped me apparate to where they were, but it took me some time to find them. I had to wait until one of them came out from under the protection. That happened when I saw Harry and the doe."

Hermione gave Ron a hug, and then continued. "We went to see Xenophilius Lovegood a few days later to see if he could explain the symbol. When we visited, Harry and I heard the _Tales of the Three Brothers_ for the first time. It seems this symbol represented the deathly hallows and that some people believed they were real. We also found out that Luna had been captured to try and control her father and we left when Death Eaters arrived."

"We then had a few days where Ron and I argued with Hermione about the Deathly Hallows, wondering if they were real or not," Harry picked up the story."Ron was able to find an episode of that radio show you guys did – it was amazing. Afterwards, I was using the show to point out that Voldemort was looking for the Wand when I said his name, forgetting about it being Taboo."

"That's how you were caught," Ginny said, looking at Harry.

"Yeah, not my one of my better moments," Harry replied. "And that's why Greyback, Scabior and some others showed up. They figured out who we were and took us to Malfoy Manor." With a glance at Hermione, Harry started another memory in the Pensieve. The scene showed the group arriving at the manor, Draco not recognizing Harry, Lucius recognizing them and preparing to call Voldemort, of Bellatrix stopping them. Ron pulled Hermione close as Harry and Ron were led to the cellar and Bellatrix decided to question Hermione. Hermione trembled as Harry, Ron and Dean found Luna and Ollivander in the cellar. Everyone heard Hermione's screams. They heard Draco come for Griphook and heard Harry ask Griphook to tell them it's a fake. They watched Griphook leave and Dobby appear, Dobby leaving taking Luna, Dean and Mr. Olivander to Shell Cottage. They watched Peter appear and try to kill Harry, only to be killed by his own hand. They watched as Ron and Harry rushed upstairs, Griphook telling the Malfoys the sword was a fake. They watched the struggle, Dobby saving the day when the chandelier dropped. They watched Ron and Hermione escaping; harry and Dobby apparating as the knife struck Dobby.

Harry looked around. Hermione had her eyes closed, head on Ron's shoulder. He took a deep breath, wiping away the tears that had fallen, "Dobby died, saving us, saving me. That night, I asked Griphook to help us break into the Lestange vault at Gringotts. I knew that Voldemort had asked Bellatrix to keep something of his in her vault because of the way she reacted to the sword which was supposed to be in her vault. It's the safest place in the world – next to Hogwarts. We then talked to Mr. Ollivander and learned about wand magic and that the Elder Wand existed. We learned that Gregorivitch had the wand and it was stolen by Grindelwald. We learned that because Dumbledore had defeated him, Dumbledore had possession of the Elder Wand. That night, I saw into Voldemort's mind again and watched as he broke into Dumbledore's tomb and stole the wand."

Ron continued, "We stayed at Shell Cottage while we planned our next move. Griphook had agreed to help us. We were going to break into Gringott's"

I have to see this," Bill told them.

Harry chuckled, "Did we make extra work for you?"

"No one would have believed that three kids could have broken in," Bill answered.

"But we're not any three kids," Harry answered back, smiling. He had placed this new memory in the Pensieve and it started playing. It started as the three arrived in Diagon Alley - and there were gasps as the family saw, not Harry, Ron, Hermione and Griphook, but Bellatrix and a strange wizard. They watched as they tricked their way into the building past the Probity Probe, and gasped when Harry Imperiused the goblin to gain them entry. They watched in fascination as the Thief's Downfall drenched them, revealing their true identity. The scene continued to unwind as they finally approached the vault. Bill gasped in wonder when they were able to access the vault, other wise there was silence except for the sounds in the Pensieve. They watched Hermione pick up the wrong goblet and get burned, as a shower of burning goblets fell. They watched, awestruck when Hermione levitated Harry up to retrieve the cup. Harry released the dragon and the three climbed on. They watched as the dragon realized it was free and took flight, bringing Ron, Harry and Hermione to safety as it took off. The memory ended as the dragon soared over Diagon Alley. Harry looked around. Ron was smiling at their success, and Hermione seemed to have a slight smile on her face. Everyone else sat in wonder – amazed that they had pulled this off.

"Well, Bill – what do you think of your baby brother, now," Ron joked. "We were able to break into and out of Gringott's – and we were making it up as we went along from the point Hermione showed them Bellatrix's wand."

Bill had nothing to say. He was truly amazed, as was everyone else. No one ever broke into Gringott's and succeeded. He looked at the three of them. He shook his head and just laughed, "They told me when I went back to work, bit I didn't really believe it until now."

Harry continued the story, "We jumped off the dragon into a lake. When we got to shore, we were planning on camping there for the night. However, I connected with Voldemort again. This time, I felt his anger at the vault being broken into. And he knew what we were doing. He was starting to panic – and when he did, I was able to find out where the last Horcrux was hidden – Hogwarts. He didn't reveal what it was or exactly where, but at least we had a place to start looking."

"Yeah, Harry, I wanted to tell you," Ron interrupted. "Thanks for not telling us I told you so over and over again. You had known right form the start that one was at Hogwarts, but we wouldn't listen."

Harry continued, "We apparated into Hogsmeade, but were immediately discovered by Death Eaters. Aberforth helped us get away by bringing us into the Hogs Head. He showed us the passage into the school and you basically know everything else that happened." Harry was hoping that he could end the story here, not go into what else had happened.

It was Mrs. Weasley who spoke first, "No, Harry we don't. We know that the three of you did more than you want to talk about and we don't know what happened when we thought you were dead. You said you were going to answer all of our questions. I want to know exactly what you did and how you did it that night."  
Harry looked around, knowing that he had promised to answer everything. He also knew that as hard as telling them everything had already been, it was nothing compared to the rest of what happened. He held Teddy closer to him, tears swelling as he did. He knew he owed them the whole truth, but wasn't sure how to explain everything, how to survive reliving it when it haunted his dreams every night.

Taking a deep breath, never taking his eyes off Teddy, he replied, "Your right, I said I would tell you everything. But, I don't think I can go on tonight. It's late and this has been too hard. I promise I'll continue – just not tonight."

Bill spoke up, "He's right, Mum. It's late and we have to go to work in the morning. And I think we all need a break to digest what we heard."

Mrs. Weasley reluctantly agreed. Everyone drifted off – Bill, Fleur and Charlie left for Shell Cottage and Andromeda took Teddy home.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N_

_I am so sorry this took so long. Chapter 12 ended totally different than I planned so the outline for this no longer worked. Redoing my original plan took a little longer than I had wished. This is my least favorite chapter, but it will attempt to get me back on-track._

_Next update won't take as long._

_I do NOT own anything. It all belongs to the brilliant JK Rowling. I'm just playing in her universe._

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**Chapter 13**

Harry lay in his bed, listening to the silence. The evening had been harder than he imagined it would be. After Teddy and Andromeda left, he came straight up to bed, not really wanting to talk to anyone. It was quiet – he assumed everyone had gone to bed since Ron was snoring next to him. Unable to sleep, he got out of bed and made his way downstairs. Harry walked silently through the kitchen and out the kitchen door. He planned on taking a walk to his favorite spot to think. He finally made his way to his favorite tree and sat down.

Harry was staring at the stars, but he wasn't really looking at them. His was wondering what everyone was thinking – how they were going to react to what Ron, Hermione and he had been doing and to everything they had kept from them over the years. He wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would even want him to remain at the Burrow. He knew they had asked him to remain, had welcomed him back, but what would they be thinking now? He knew he could probably fix up Grimmauld Place or rent a flat somewhere – but he really didn't feel like being alone. He hoped that he was still welcome – and that he would be after he told the rest of the story about the battle. He started thinking about what was coming next in his life. He had heard Ron talking about helping George in the joke shop, Hermione talking about returning to school, Ginny complaining because she had to take year six over again – she had shouted about how unfair it was that the last year wasn't going to count. Harry wasn't really sure he wanted to be an Auror anymore – hadn't he already battled enough evil? He had never really considered a life after Voldemort – and wasn't sure what he wanted. Lost in thought, Harry fell asleep under the tree.

The next morning found the burrow silent again. Everyone was thinking about what they had heard the night before. Harry felt like everyone was watching him, an unusual feeling at the Burrow. After breakfast, he asked Ron and Hermione to go for a walk with him. They settled under what had become their tree in the orchard.

"What are we going to do now?" Harry asked.

"What?" Ron asked back.

"Well, I can't stay living with your family forever, you know. And what about jobs – we never finished school. What are we supposed to do now that it's over? I didn't think I would ever see the day that didn't have Voldemort trying to kill me in it. So what do I do now?"

"Dad told us the other day that Kingsley was talking to McGonagall about what would happen to those who couldn't return last year. Dad thought that we would be able to finish school if we want," Ron told him. "But, I'm not sure I want to go back."

"WHAT," Hermione asked him. "Why wouldn't you want to complete your education? You can't become an auror without your N.E.W.T.S."

"But what if I don't want to be an auror anymore?" Ron asked her, echoing Harry's thoughts.

"Why wouldn't you?" she asked.

Harry answered for Ron, "Because we've seen more dark magic, more terror, than anyone should and we just don't want to see it anymore. Maybe we want to do something that is good, something that will make us happy but not have anyone sending curses at us on a regular basis anymore. I know I've had enough of that for a long time – probably forever. Have YOU decided what you want to do?"

"Well, I thought maybe," Hermione hesitated. She looked at Harry and Ron nervously. "I thought after I finished school, I thought I could get a job in the ministry working in the magical creatures department. I thought that maybe…" She looked at them both, even more nervous than before. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I thought that maybe I could help change things from within – for Remus, for Dobby, for so many others." Hermione was looking down at her laps in her lap, not sure of her friend's reaction after all the problems she had getting them to accept SPEW.

"That's brilliant," Harry told her. "If anyone can change the rules, its you."  
Hermione blushed at Harry's praise. "You know, if you're really unsure what kind of job you want, you really should go back to Hogwarts. You can finish studying and get your N.E.W.T.S. You can use the year to think and decide what you really want to do."

Harry and Ron looked at Hermione. Harry nodded slowly. They sat there for awhile, each lost in their thoughts.

"Was it as bad to relive that stuff for you guys as it was for me?" Harry finally broke the silence.

Hermione and Ron both nodded. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to look at Mum, Dad and Ginny now that they know I walked out on you guys," Ron told them. "Did you see the looks they gave me when you told them that?"

"But you came back," Harry told him. "If Hermione and I aren't mad at you, they shouldn't be either. We both forgave you a long time ago for that – and you should forgive yourself, too"

"Hmpf" Hermione snorted. "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, Harry?"

"What," Ron asked.

"Muggle saying, Ron," Hermione continued. "When are you going to forgive yourself Harry?"

"I don't know Hermione," Harry told them. "I mean, I know it's not my fault, I really do. But, at the same time, I can't help wondering, if I had figured everything out sooner, if I had fought faster, if I had done something different, less people would have died, and maybe some more of my family would be here. Since I had to be the one to defeat Voldemort, then if I had figured out how to do it sooner, then we wouldn't have lost so many people. And please – don't tell me it's not true. IF we had moved faster, it would be true. I just can't help trying to figure out where we could have been quicker – where we could have been better."

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They were nervous about facing the rest of the family after telling their story, knowing that there was still more to tell. They were concerned with what others thought? Did they approve of what they had done? Could they see where the mistakes were and how they could have ended everything faster? Lunch was quiet as most of the family was working.

That afternoon, Mrs. Weasley found Harry alone by the broom shed. "So here's where you've been hiding," she smiled as she spoke.

Harry jumped at her voice. He hadn't heard her approaching. She continued, "I was just wondering if you would like anything special for dinner tomorrow. The whole family will be here. Hagrid and Kingsley are going to be here as well."

"What?" Harry asked confused.

"Your birthday, Harry" she said gently. "You didn't think we would forget it, did you."

"Well," Harry looked at her sheepishly. "I sort of did."

"We didn't" she replied. "Is there someone else you'd like to invite? We can owl them if there is. I just wanted to know what you would like to anything special for dinner. It is your birthday."

"Anything, Mrs. Weasley," Harry told her. "Please, don't go to any trouble. I love everything you make. And you really don't need to do anything special for me."

Mrs. Weasley looked at him thoughtfully. She wanted to help Harry through this time, but wasn't sure how. She wasn't sure how to help any of her sons through their grief, but Harry least of all. Quietly, she walked back to the Burrow, leaving Harry lost in his own thoughts again.

Dinner that night was a small, quiet affair. While there had been many dinners with just the six of them, it hadn't been this quiet since the funerals were over. Ron and Hermione were thinking of the past. Ron was worried about what his parents thought of him now – they had been so proud of him at the end of the war, what did they think now that they knew he had deserted his friends? Harry was just afraid that the Weasley's would finally feel like his aunt and uncle – and wish he wasn't around.

Mr. Weasley looked at his son and his friends, not knowing what to say to them. He looked at his wife, his eyebrows raised in an unspoken question. "All day" was her whispered response. They continued to eat in silence.

When everyone had stopped eating and the dishes done, Mr. Weasley startled everyone by saying "We need to talk." They filed into the sitting room, nervously taking seats around the room.

Mr. Weasley looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. They had squeezed together on the sofa. He smiled at the sight of them, still together, still trying to protect the other. He was unsure of how to say what he was thinking, what he was feeling. But he knew he had to, the kids needed to hear what he had to say.

"I know that telling us everything you did last night was hard for the three of you. Your mother and I always knew there was more going on than what you ever told us, that the danger you faced was always greater than you, or Professor Dumbledore, ever led us to believe. We can't believe that you faced everything, all the danger as young as you three did. We wish you had confided in us, let us help you when we could. But we are very proud of the way you have always stayed together, defending each other and helping each other. We are very proud of everything you did during the past years."

Ron stood and his parents hugged him. Harry watched his friend and his parents. He couldn't help the feelings of jealousy that arose. He looked towards Hermione, who was smiling at Ron and his parents. Harry was happy for Ron, but he couldn't help missing his own parents.

The next morning, Harry was woken when something landed on his chest. "What," he exclaimed.

"Happy Birthday," Ron told him.

"Open it" Hermione told him.

Harry sat up. He opened the package. It felt like a book, and since it appeared to be from Hermione as well as Ron, Harry wasn't surprised. When he saw what it was, he smiled. He was holding a scrapbook – a scrapbook full of pictures of Harry's Hogwarts days, the happy memories. "Wow" was all he could say, as he slowly flipped the pages.

Dinner that night was livelier than it had been for months. After the war had ended, while the majority of the wizarding world had celebrated the fall of Voldemort, Harry and his family had mourned for those they had lost. They had not celebrated. This was the first occasion since the final battle and they were determined to make it a happy one.

As dinner ended, Harry looked around the table. He thought back to his last birthday and his family that had helped him celebrate. He remembered the interruption when Scrimgeour had arrived, forcing Remus and Tonks to leave. He smiled as he remembered the shocking gifts from Dumbledore's will. He looked around again at his family, and smiled. He missed the people that weren't here with him, he knew he always would. But he looked at Ron and Hermione, at Ginny, and at Teddy and knew that he had a family that loved him and that he would have a future with them at his side.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing._

_I hope to have another update before the end of the month, but I'm having surgery the end of this week so I can't guarantee when I'll be up to writing again. In case I don't get the next chapter done, Happy Holidays!_

_I do NOT own any of the characters or places! They belong to the brilliant JK Rowling._

* * *

**Chapter 14**

The rest of the week seemed to fly. Before Harry knew it, Sunday was here. And the family was gathered again at the Burrow for the weekly family dinner. Harry knew he would be telling his story of what happened at Hogwarts that evening – he knew there was no way anyone, especially Ginny – would forget that he had told them he would tell them later. And he knew it would be tonight, that he wouldn't put it off any longer.

Dinner was over all too soon and sure enough, Ginny turned to Harry as the plates were being cleared, "Harry, last week you said you would tell us what happened at Hogwarts, that you would explain why everything happened and what you did that day. Will you tell us tonight?"

"Geez, Ginny," Ron told her. "Give the guy a break – didn't we tell you enough stuff last week? Are you sure you really want to know what happened and why?"

Ginny started to argue, but Harry interrupted her. "If we can use the Pensieve again, I'll show you what I did. That's all. I don't want to talk about it." And Harry got up from the table and retrieved the basin from the bedroom he shared with Ron.

When he came back down, he found everyone in the sitting room in the same spots they had previously been sitting. He placed the basin on the table and sat in front of it, facing everyone. "I won't stop this until it's over. This is everything that happened that night from the time Ron, Hermione and I followed Neville into the Room of Requirement." He started to raise his wand to tap the Pensieve for the memory to start, but paused. He turned and walked to Andromeda. He looked at her, not able to bring to words what he wanted to say. Understanding, she handed Teddy to Harry. He went back and after taking a deep breath, started the memory playing. And the memory started playing with Harry, Ron and Hermione arriving in the Room of Requirement. As the memory played, Harry closed his eyes. He couldn't watch it – he relived parts every night in his nightmares. He sat next to Ron and Hermione, holding Teddy close.

The memory had moved to the Ravenclaw common room. The room was silent as Harry's memory played, showing how Harry defended Professor McGonagall, how she jumped when Harry told her he was acting on Dumbledore's orders, the confrontation between McGonagall and Snape, the Professor's agreeing to defend the school, and the statues and knights jumping to do their duty to protect the school and its students. It showed Harry and Luna arriving back to a crowded Room of Requirement, of Harry's announcement of "We're fighting." Percy shifted uncomfortably as he arrived back in the memory. Ginny put her arm around him as the memory moved ahead to the Great Hall. Voldemort's voice rang out followed by everyone taking their assignments to defend the school that had once been home to all of them. There were gasps as Harry talked to the Grey Lady and heard her story. They watched with smiles as Harry found Ron and Hermione and watched them kiss. George made kissing noises as the memory continued to move on. They were in the Room of Requirement with Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy. There was the fire that almost killed them, but succeeded instead in killing Crabbe and destroying the diadem. Harry held Teddy tightly as Hermione wrapped her arms tighter around Ron, knowing what was to come next. He heard Fred and Percy fighting. As the explosion sounded, the room tensed as they realized what they were seeing. Ginny and Percy held each other as the tears ran down their face. Mrs. Weasley reached out and pulled George into a hug as they both cried.

The family was stunned at what they had just seen as the continued to watch. Harry, Ron and Hermione left the castle. Unable to get past the Dementors, they watched as Luna, Ernie and Seamus sent their Patronuses to help. Ron, Harry and Hermione chuckled slightly when Hermione yelled "Are you a wizard or what?" when they were at the whomping willow, remembering similar words spoken almost seven years earlier. The family watched as Snape was killed by Nagini, giving Harry the memories. They heard Voldemort's words echoing in the memory, watched the trio leave the Shrieking Shack and enter the Great Hall, watched as Ron and Hermione joined the Weasley's around Fred, as Harry reeled at what he was seeing – Fred, Tonks and Remus. Everyone present had tears coming down their cheeks, Harry felt someone next to him and turned to see Andromeda. He placed her grandson back into her arms, offering her the comfort of her grandson. In the memory, Harry was in Dumbledore's office, jumping into the Pensieve. As Snape's memories played, Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them close, knowing what he was about to do. There were gasps as they watched Snape's memories of his youth play out, of the conversations between Dumbledore and Snape planning Dumbledore's death. Mrs. Weasley gasped "NO" when they heard that part of Voldemort's soul lived in Harry and everyone's face was shocked when they heard that Harry had to die.

But the memory kept playing. Harry had entered the forest. There were gasps as Harry turned the Resurrection Stone over and four people appeared. Harry reached out and held Teddy's hand, watching Teddy as the people he loved, helped Harry walk to his own death. Hermione reached out, putting her arm around Harry while Ron's arms were around her. There was complete silence in the room when Harry fell. The memory played as Harry met Dumbledore. The Weasley's and Andromeda looked in complete shock, not understanding, afraid to look away from the memory playing. Harry was not watching his memory; he was watching his sleeping godson while Dumbledore explained to him how Harry could live – the blood taken from his arm in the graveyard. They watched Dumbledore admit that Harry and Voldemort had entered magic that no one else had ever known, as he explained why Harry's wand acted as it had, as Dumbledore explained the Deathly Hallows, his own youth, and how he thought Harry could return.

Harry's memory continued to play: Narcissa declaring Harry dead, his body being tortured before Hagrid carrying it to the open. Harry closed his eyes as he heard Voldemort's voice booming that he was dead, as the screams of "NO" and "Harry" echoed from the castle. He heard Neville standing up to Voldemort, Voldemort's declaration, the scuffle and Hagrid yelling "Where's Harry" The memory continued into the Great Hall as Charlie and Professor Slughorn led the charge from Hogsmeade, joining those left in Hogwarts in the Final Battle. They watched as curses flew and Death Eaters fell, until there was only two groups left dueling. They watched as time seemed to stand still as Molly confronted Bellatrix and Bellatrix fell. Harry heard Andromeda's tears for the sister she didn't understand, who had betrayed her years ago. The memory continued to play as Harry confronted Voldemort and the final spells of the battle were spoken, "Avada Kedavra! Expelliarmus!" Harry leaned down and kissed the sleeping Teddy on the forehead as the memory stopped when Voldemort, Tom Riddle, finally fell.

They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. No one knew what to say. They had not known what to expect tonight, but it wasn't anything like what they saw. They looked at Harry, one arm around Hermione, the other holding onto Teddy who lay sleeping in his grandmother's arms. Harry felt everyone's eyes on him, but he couldn't look up, he didn't want to see their faces. He knew he should say something, but what? He couldn't think of anything to say; what was there for him to say really. They had wanted to know what happened and he had shown them.

Hermione whispered, "Harry" He looked at her, then at Ron. The three shared a small smile. "It's finally over."

Harry smiled at Hermione and picked his sleeping godson out of his grandmother's arms. "It is" he whispered. As he held Teddy close, Harry was amazed at the comfort the four month old baby gave him. He rose from the floor, "I'm going for a walk for a few minutes"

Harry walked slowly, and just as he expected, Ron and Hermione were at his side before he reached the orchard. The three walked quietly and settled under their tree in the orchard. Harry lay his now awake godson on his legs. They sat there in silence, watching the stars and listening to the sounds of the evening mixed with Teddy's babbles.

A smile slowly formed on Harry's face. "It is over, isn't it?"

Ron and Hermione smiled, nodding their heads.

"It'll be hard to go back to Hogwarts," Harry said.

"Hard to do homework again, hard to listen to the teachers again," Ron started.

"That's not what I meant," Harry said. "It'll be hard going back to where it all ended."  
Ron gulped. He hadn't thought of that.

Hermione spoke, "But if we want to help everything get back to normal, we have to go back, don't we? I know you don't like everyone looking at you Harry, but if you can go back and help things return to normal, it might help everyone else."

"I don't really care about helping everyone else anymore, Hermione," Harry said. "I think I've done enough for everyone else right now. Now, I want to make it better for you and Ron, for Ginny, Mrs Weasley. And for this little one. Remus was right. We fought to make the world safer for Teddy and all the other kids."

"We'll get through the year like we always do," Hermione told them. "Together. With Ginny. Luna and Neville, too if they return. And we WILL make it better for Teddy and for the future generations. It's what your parents and the original Order was trying to do. You finished the job for them. And now, we can have peace."

Harry chuckled, "I can't imagine a year at Hogwarts being peaceful. Of course, I can't imagine my life being peaceful. This next year should be interesting. And I'm going to miss this little guy while I'm away. I wonder if Professor McGonagall would let me leave Hogwarts some weekends to visit."

With that thought, Harry stood up. Without intending to, they had just made the decision that they would be returning to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year. They slowly walked back to the Burrow. Harry gazed up at the sky as the left the orchard. The stars twinkled. For the first time since he had set foot in the Great Hall at eleven years old when his scar pricked that first time, Harry didn't feel the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders.


	15. Chapter 15

_I apologize for the long delay – life and such was in the way. This is only half of what I wanted in this chapter, but I thought I'd put this up now so everyone would know that I haven't give this up. It's a very short update. _

_ I won't abandonthis – I will finish it. It just might take me a bit longer than I originally planned._

_I don't own anything! I'm just playing in the world created by the brilliant JK Rowling!_

**Chapter 15**

Things seemed to fall into a peaceful pattern. Mrs. Weasley was overjoyed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were returning to school. The knowledge seemed to have calmed Ginny down some as well – she wasn't complaining quite as much about having to repeat her sixth year. And no one treated Harry any differently than they had before – he still felt as welcome at the Burrow as he always had. His fears that after he told his story that the family would treat him differently were unfounded.

The second week of August started. Hogwarts letters arrived for all. Harry was made Quidditch captain again. He was looking forward to playing again. He was looking forward to a _normal_ life.

"OH" Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Hermione's loud gasp. Harry and Ron looked at her – she was holding a Head Girl Badge.

"You're actually surprised?" Harry was incredulous. "We knew it would be you. You're the brightest in the class."

"But, I never expected," Hermione gasped. "After not attending last year, I guess I just assumed it would go to someone else, someone who was there last year."

"I wonder who got head boy, then," Ron asked, looking suspiciously over towards Harry. Ron was holding a prefect badge again.

"Don't look at me," Harry said. "Quidditch Captain" He held up the badge.

"Neville," Hermione said. "It says in the letter that Neville is the Head Boy."

"Brilliant," Ginny said. "He deserved it after what he did last year."

Harry looked at the parchment in his hand. They had all realized that there was an extra piece of parchment in the letter. In addition to their letter and booklist, there was a third piece of parchment – fourth in Hermione's case.

_You are invited to a special ceremony _

_at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_To dedicate a memorial_

_To those who fell_

_At the Battle of Hogwarts_

_August 30, 1998_

_2:00 PM_

Harry looked around. Everyone was speechless. Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen and saw the stunned looks on everyone's faces. "What's wrong," she asked.

Ginny handed her the parchment. Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Yes, Arthur mentioned that the other day." Everyone looked at her, shocked. "We were going to tell you later this week, after the other memorial was planned as well."

"WHAT?" Four voices exclaimed.

"Sit, sit" Mrs. Weasley shooed them into chairs at the table. "All right. I won't wait for your father. But, understand - I don't know all the details. They are planning on dedicating two memorials from the war. The first is to be at Hogwarts, commemorating those who lost their lives in the Battle in June. The other will be at the Ministry, dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the struggle along with those who fought. They're still working on the details, but they are including the Order, the DA and the three of you. I'm sure Kingsley and Minerva will be visiting soon. I believe they want you to give a speech at the memorials Harry."

"Wh- What?" Harry managed to stammer. He had managed to remain at the Burrow since the funerals. The security wards had been left in place to keep unwanted visitors out – the press and members of the community who just wanted to meet Harry. He had been enjoying his privacy, his time to cope. He wasn't even looking forward to going to get his school things from Diagon Alley.

"Harry," Hermione said. "You'll be fine. You should have known that the ministry would want you to speak."

"Look," Ginny said, interrupting before Harry could argue further. "It's no sense worrying about it yet. Wait until Kingsley and McGonagall come and talk to you before you get all upset."

Harry nodded numbly, and he didn't hear Mrs. Weasley say that they would go to Diagon Alley tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry traveled to Diagon Alley. As Harry stepped out of the FLoo in the Leaky Cauldron, the room went silent – reminding Harry of his first trip seven years earlier. Then, everyone seemed to line up to shake Harry's hand. This time, Ron and Hermione stayed by his side – and suddenly, the second person to approach Harry stopped still…

"It's all three of you, isn't it?" she said stunned. "You two were with him this past year, weren't you? You're Ron and Hermione….It's such an honor to meet all three of you." And with that simple statement, Ron and Hermione were in the spotlight alongside Harry. It took almost an hour for everyone in the Leaky Cauldron to shake hands with the trio.

Finally, they made their way out into Diagon Alley. Harry was happy to see the bustling street again. And the look on Ron's face – Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Blimey," Ron said. "That was bloody annoying. I don't know how you put up with it Harry."

Harry laughed as they walked down the busy street. They stayed together as they purchased the items the trio needed for their seventh year, books, potion supplies and new robes. Ginny had most of her books from the year before. Harry, Ron and Hermione convinced Mrs. Weasley to allow them to walk around on their own and meet up at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in an hour – Ginny wasn't happy to be left with her mother. Harry sighed, but it was necessary – he couldn't purchase her birthday present while she was with them.

_A/N – Sorry for the abrupt ending. I have a few ideas for Ginny's present – any suggestions would be appreciated. _


	16. Chapter 16

_My 11 year old took pity on this story and decided to type the next chapter for you! Since she did all that work, she picked Ginny's birthday present for the story - I had a few different versions already written out by hand and she picked her favorite. I liked some of the others better, but since she was putting all the work into typing it, I gave final decision to her. She said that if I don't get the next chapter typed reasonably fast, she'll type it afte her upcoming dance competitions._

_My original plans included Ginny's birthday in the previous chapter. _

_I don't own anything. It all belongs to the brilliant JK Rowling, some publishing companies and a movie studio. I'm just playing in their universe._

**Chapter 16**

Harry, Hermione and Ron walked around Diagon Alley. Their hour was almost up and Harry had yet to find a present for Ginny. Ron and Hermione had already purchased theirs and Ron was loosing patience.

"But what do I get her?" Harry asked. "I want it to be special since she's coming of age – and I want it to be perfect. I can't think of anything." Harry had never felt so helpless about such a simple thing before.

"What gift did you appreciate the most when you turned 17?" Hermione asked. "And what made it so special?"

"The watch from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied without thinking. "It followed tradition to get a watch from one's family and she gave me her brother's, so it was…" Harry drifted off, looking sheepish. He didn't want to admit why that watch had made him feel so special and why it had become one of his most cherished possessions, equal to his father's cloak and the broom from Sirius. Hermione and Ron just smiled.

They walked for a few more minutes, Harry lost in thought. Ron and Hermione followed. Harry turned to them, "I have an idea – let's go."

* * *

The next few days passed in a blur. Hermione had suddenly realized that they had to complete their summer assignments before returning to Hogwarts. The days were passed in a blur of morning Quiditch games, afternoon studying in the orchard and evenings with the family.

Ginny's birthday was on a Saturday, so breakfast was crowded. Ginny received the traditional watch from her parents and George had given her a box of tricks for the upcoming year – "Can't have a Weasley at school without a stash of the newest products," he reasoned.

The day passed lazily with Quiditch games and time spent just hanging out in the orchard. Harry kept looking at Ginny. He wanted to give her gift to her without anyone around, but wasn't sure if she would like it. Finally, after many failed attempts at getting her alone, Hermione realized what Harry was trying to do and pulled Ron off for a walk to the pond.

Harry looked at Ginny. "I wanted to give you your birthday present without anyone else around," he started nervously. They had been getting along as friends, and he wasn't sure if Ginny was ready to give their relationship another try yet. He knew he was.

"I was trying to think of the perfect gift for your 17th birthday and was having a hard time coming up with something special enough for you. Hermione asked me what present was the most special on my 17th birthday and what made it special. When I realized what made the gift so special, I knew exactly what to get you." As he finished, he pulled a small box out of his pocket and gave it to her.

Ginny looked at Harry and took the box. She glanced at him nervously and proceeded to open the present. "Oh" she gasped as she pulled out the bracelet.

"What made the gift I cherished the most special was that it was special to your Mum as well, it made me feel like I had a family. I don't know if I have anything like that from my parents, one day we'll have to really look through that vault. But each charm is something special for us." Harry explained.

Ginny fingered the small charms. Starting at the clasp, she looked at the first one. "A train?" she questioned.

"It's where we first met."

"And the lion's for Gryffindor?"

Harry nodded. "I wasn't sure about the next one, but I thought it should be there." Ginny looked at the next charm as Harry explained. "I wasn't sure if I should include it, but figured if the bracelet was going to be complete it needed to be there." Ginny nodded as she fingered the small basilisk.

"Why is a snitch next?" she asked.

"Two reasons – we both love Quiditch and you took my place as seeker. The last charm on there was the easiest to pick." Ginny looked again – it was a small ruby heart. "You captured my heart. I realized it last year – it's yours, always has been and always will be."

"Oh Harry," Ginny looked at him, tears in her eyes. "It's perfect. But why did you put the charms so close together? Why didn't you spread them out over the whole bracelet?"

"Simple. That's for rest of our lives." Harry took the bracelet out of her hands and put it on her wrist. "Last year, you gave me a present so I wouldn't forget you, to have me come home to you. My present to you is not the bracelet – it's my promise. I'm not leaving you again. You have me now and forever. The only future I ever saw for myself has you right there next to me." He pulled her closer and as they hugged, they both knew – they would never be apart again.

* * *

The next week seemed to fly by. Quiditch and schoolwork, relaxing and recovering. Harry was really grateful to be staying with the Weasley's. This was the first truly relaxing summer he had ever known. It seemed that everyone was healing from the past year. Harry knew that this was due to his isolation at the Burrow. And he was thankful for his refuge – he saw the tension in Mr. Weasley's face every night as he was on the frontlines with the Ministry trying to rebuild their world.

All that came crashing down around Harry when he walked into the kitchen after a Quiditch game and saw who was sitting at the table. He came to an abrupt halt. Ron crashed into him from behind. Kingsley and McGonagall were sitting at the table with the Weasley's.

"Sit you four and I'll get you some tea," Mrs. Weasley told them.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sat together at the opposite end of the table. They knew what Kingsley and McGonagall were going to ask. And they weren't sure what reaction any of them would have – they had been coping privately and they weren't sure they were ready for a public display. Greetings were exchanged while Mrs. Weasley prepared the tea and returned to the table.

Kingsley started. "Harry, we have been planning some memorials. I know you received your invitation to the one at Hogwarts, but we've also been planning one at the ministry as well. We would like your input into the final designs of both. Ron and Hermione's too. We have some ideas on what to do, but need to finalize the plans as the memorials are only a week away."

Professor McGonagall continued, "For Hogwarts, we are building a simple memorial – black marble with the names and pictures of those who died in the final battle etched in. There's some talk of a small statue or something on top, but nothing has been decided. Personally, I like the simple design without the statue." She unrolled a piece of parchment and passed it to Harry as she continued. "I think this is the best. At the ceremony we thought that the speeches could be limited to me as Headmistress, Kingsley and Harry."

Kingsley unrolled numerous parchments. "We have a few ideas for the memorial at the ministry. We want to honor everyone who lost their lives in both wars as well as those who fought and survived. We have lots of ideas for what…"

"Why do we have to do both memorials now?" Harry interrupted. "I understand the need to have both, but isn't it too soon? I know it's going to be hard for everyone to return to Hogwarts for the first memorial – most of us haven't been back since that morning."

"We wanted to have them before school starts again." Kingsley replied. "I thought the idea of having both of them, we could all use September 1st as a new beginning this year – and using this as a way to help our world move ahead."

Eyes turned back to Harry. "That sort of makes sense. But I think two of these back to back is just too much. I don't think I can do both of them. It's just too big – too much. If you do it like this, I will only be at one. I can't handle the thought of these two together and then having to return to school the next day. It's a good idea, but I can't do it. If you need to have both of them, I will only come to the one at Hogwarts. That will give us a day to recover before having to return to school. I like the plans Professor McGonagall showed us – a simple stone with the names etched in it. Nothing else on it." He looked to Ron and Hermione on his right and Ginny on his left.

Hermione was the first to speak, "I like this design the best. It reminds me of an American memorial I read about once. I don't remember what war it was for, but from what I remember it was designed by an architecture student who beat her professor's in the design contest."

"Where were you going to place it?" Ginny asked.

"We've been having some discussion on that," Professor McGonagall admitted. "Some want it in the Great Hall. Others want it by the gate so it can be seen as soon as you enter the grounds. Some suggested by the lake and others have suggested by the forest. And some even suggested by the Quiditch pitch. They left the final decision up to me. I wanted your opinion on where it should go. We want it where it can be scene and be remembered, but I wasn't sure a constant reminder in the Great Hall or as the first thing you see when you enter Hogwarts would be appropriate either."

"I like the idea of having it by the lake," Ginny said.

"Me too," the other three said.

"Why the lake?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Because it's a good place to go for quiet. It's somewhere close, but not close enough to see constantly and be reminded a million times a day. The forest is too dark. And the other places would be too upsetting to see everyday." Ron replied.

"That was my choice as well," Professor McGonagall said. "And Harry, you will speak at the ceremony?"

Harry nodded. "I'm not looking forward to it, but I'll do it."

"Now Harry, about the memorial at the ministry," Kingsley started.

"No, Kingsley." Harry interrupted. "If you need to do these back to back, go ahead. I can't. It's too much. We've been talking about how hard returning to Hogwarts is going to be – having to be there everyday where we lost so many of the people we cared about. I can't do both. You said you wanted my opinion. I think it's too soon to do both. Have the memorial at Hogwarts. I think it might help all of us start to move on, and make attending again a little easier. But the other – it's too soon. What are we trying to show? Give us time to heal, time to move on a little and come to terms with what we lost. These designs are almost as bad as the "magic is might" that was in the ministry last year. Statues of the order as the heroes of the war. There were plenty of heroes who weren't in the order – or the DA either. The memorial to those who died fighting Voldemort – are you sure you have everyone. He was responsible for so many deaths. His first was when he was still a student – did you find her?"

"He killed while a student?" both McGonagall and Kingsley gasped.

"A girl named Myrtle," Hermione informed them.

"He was responsible for her death?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Harry nodded. "You need time to plan this right. If you truly want to memorialize everyone he was responsible for killing, you will need time to make it right. And you need to include everyone – witches and wizards, elves, muggles and any of the other magical beings he was responsible for."

"We already included Dobby," Kingsley told him.

"I know of at least one other elf he sacrificed for his purposes. Take the time to find out more information. Make sure everyone is included that we want to celebrate – those who fought, those who died and what we fought for. Give the world time to heal and move on. Then we can memorialize the war – all the battles, all the losses and the victory and peace that we have now. It looks like you want this one to be a celebration of victory and lasting peace. Wait until we can celebrate. We're not ready to yet. We're still recovering – and so is everyone else. While those who weren't fighting are celebrating, the rest of us are still recovering. Give us a chance to recover and then we'll celebrate. I don't think you can find anyone anywhere who is more grateful, happier that this is over than me – and all I'm saying is that it's too soon to celebrate. "

Silence fell on the room when Harry stopped talking, letting his words sink in. After endless minutes of silence, Mrs. Weasley spoke. "I think Harry's right. Just have one ceremony now. Have the one at Hogwarts to honor those who died in the final battle. It will help for the students to return that day with their family, to visit the places of their nightmares before they return for school. Hold the other one later, after we get it right. Harry pointed out two mistakes with barely glancing at it. Let's build the memorial at the ministry as a celebration of those lost and of the peace we won."

"But Molly, your family will be honoring Fred at Hogwarts. What about those we are honoring who didn't die at the final battle," Kingsley questioned.

"The Hogwarts memorial is just that – a memorial to those who died at the final battle. I have more family and friends on the list of those we are honoring at the ministry than anyone and this is what I want. I can't remember Fred, Remus and Tonks one day and turn around the next day at another memorial for them, my parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, Cedric, Dobby and turn that day into a celebration of victory. It won't be a celebration of the victory. I can't do both. You came here wanting my opinion and I gave it to you. If you're worried about what everyone's going to think, and you think this is best, then do it. But I won't be there. And as to anyone else who lost someone before the final battle – I asked Andromeda what she thought of it the other day. She agreed with me. She said she thought just the one was enough. She's planning on coming to the memorial at Hogwarts with Teddy and me. She thought that it would be important for Teddy to be there that day. But she said she can't handle the second one yet either. She's not ready to celebrate yet. We're all still mourning. We won and we're happy. It's just going to be awhile before we're ready to celebrate." Harry spoke.

"You're repeating yourself Harry," Hermione gently revoked with a smile, trying to lighten the tension a bit.

Harry grinned, "Just trying to get my point across."

"I heard you Harry," Kingsley told him. "I said I wanted your opinion. And I think I can understand. But if we don't do this now, when would you suggest we have the memorial at the ministry."

Harry took a deep breath. "You're really not going to like this idea. I think we should have Hogwarts dismiss early this year – June 1st. That way everyone can be home for the anniversary of the battle. I don't really want to be at Hogwarts on the anniversary. I think we could have the ministry's memorial then. We'll have a year to have recovered and move on. We can celebrate then."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "I like the idea of not being at Hogwarts on the anniversary of the battle next year. I'm not sure my staff is going to be happy about having to rearrange their teaching schedule for the shorter year and we'll have to arrange the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s to be administered earlier, but I like the idea of a June 1st leaving feast."

Silence fell again as everyone took in this new information. Slowly, heads nodded. Mr.Weasley was the next to speak, "I think Harry's idea is a good one."

Kingsley finally nodded as well, "All right. We'll postpone the ministry memorial for a year, but only on one condition. Harry, you have to promise that you will help plan it, you will attend and you will make a speech."

"That's three conditions, Kingsley," Harry answered. "Attending isn't going to be a problem. I already said I would if you postponed it. Helping plan the event – if you really want my help, you'll need the Headmistress's approval to visit me at school and I'll help as long as these three are included. For your third condition, I'll speak only if I'm needed with the final plans. We might come up with something that doesn't need any speeches."

Kingsley agreed and McGonagall gave him permission to hold the planning meetings at Hogwarts in the evenings and on weekends. After some more small talk, Kingsley and McGonagall left.

"You handled that well, Harry," Mrs. Weasley commented.

"I've been expecting them since the letters came so I had time to think." He replied.

"You do realize that you just agreed to give two speeches, don't you?" Hermione questioned. "And one of them is next week."

"I only agreed to the one next week. I said I'd do the other one only if needed. I plan on coming up with an idea that means I don't need to speak." he grinned.


	17. Chapter 17

_I decided that I don't really need to write the 2 papers that are due this week or study for the finals for the 2 classes that end next week (the 3rd doesn't finish until June). After dealing with the idiots at the health insurance company and on the disabilty committe and at work...I typed this up instead of studying or finishing the papers._

_Hope you enjoy - it's angsty. And I left it at a place I know you'll all hate. I would if I were reading. The next chapter should be up by the end of next wek - earlier if I decide that I just don't care about the exams..._

_Also - I can't write Andromeda. She's important in this story, but I just can't get into her character. Sorry!_

_I do NOT own any of this. It belongs to JKR - I'm playing in her universe for a little while._

**Chapter 17**

The next week seemed to pass in a blur. Harry spent the days completing summer assignments, playing Quidditch, spending time with Ginny and, most importantly, spending as much time as he could with Teddy. Harry couldn't believe how much the four month had changed this summer. He was happy that McGonagall had already mailed the Hogsmeade schedule he had asked for so that Andromeda could bring Teddy to visit. In between, spending time with his family, he attempted to write his speech as Hermione insisted he needed to.

It was August 29 and Harry still hadn't finished a speech. He was sitting under his favorite tree in the orchard, parchment and quill in front of him. Ginny was finishing her homework next to him. Sighing in frustration, Harry banished another piece of parchment.

"No luck?" Ginny asked

"I just don't know how to give speeches. What does everyone expect me to say?" Harry answered. "I don't see why I can't just say whatever I feel at the time like I did at the funerals."

"Because everyone will expect what you to say be perfect," Hermione said, having just arrived with Ron and sitting down. "You're the Chosen One, the boy-who-lived. All the reporters will be writing down every word you say, not McGonagall's or Kingsley's speeches. But yours. What did Remus say about you on Potterwatch last year?

Ginny answered, "He called Harry 'the symbol of everything for which we are fighting for, the triumph of good, the power of innocence." i

"Everyone should know by now – I don't like speeches. I said I'd speak – and I agreed because it's expected. I'm hoping by speaking, the reporters will get their statement and leave me alone. I'm not doing any interviews. And I'm done trying to write a speech. I'm not a speech writer. I'm just going to do this my way – and if no one likes it, that's their problem." He sent Hermione a glare as he finished, expecting her to argue.

"Finally came to your senses then," Ron said. Hermione elbowed him and gave Harry a look of disapproval.

"I know what you're thinking Hermione, but I'm doing this my way. Are you all ready for tomorrow?" The mood grew quiet as the teens reflected on what tomorrow was to bring.

"I know we've gone over this before, but explain it to me again. I still don't get why you're leaving at 7:00 when I heard you tell Andromeda you'd be there at 9:00," Ginny asked.

Harry took a deep breath. He had hoped no one would realize the time gap, but should have known that either Ginny or Hermione would figure it out. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that and who would figure it out. I need to do something tomorrow before I meet Andromeda and Teddy."

Everyone waited for Harry to continue. Finally Ginny prompted, "And….

Taking another deep breath and closing his eyes, he replied, "I'm going to visit a few people first and I need to do it alone."

"That doesn't give us any more information. And you know us – we won't let you go without any information." Hermione told him.

"I want to visit with my Remus and my parent's first," Harry replied. "I just need to talk to them and want to be by myself for a little while."

They all nodded and silence settled over the group. They reflected on what tomorrow would bring and how they would react being back at Hogwarts for the first time since the battle. Harry would arrive at 10:00 with Teddy and Andromeda and meet the Weasley's at the gate. Families of those who had lost their lives had been invited to arrive early if they wanted to. The memorial wasn't scheduled to begin until afternoon.

The next morning dawned much too soon for the occupants of the Burrow. After a quiet breakfast, Harry whispered his good-by and left. He walked down the lane and followed it through the orchard. He had a stop he wanted to make before he left. Before long, he came to a graveyard and walked to the grave closest to the orchard.

"Hi Fred," he said sitting down next to the headstone. Looking at the stone, he smiled, "Did Remus or I ever tell you that he was a marauder? I don't remember." He fell silent again. After a few moments, he continued, "I don't know what I'm doing here but just wanted to tell you that they're building a memorial for you and everyone at Hogwarts and we're unveiling it today. Hermione's mad because I didn't write a speech for today, but I know you'll understand. You always hated speeches. George and I will make this one for you today, Fred." With those words, he wiped the silent tears away and walked to the edge of the graveyard where he apparated away, thinking of what he had asked George to help him with when they had visited Diagon Alley.

He arrived outside another graveyard and took a deep breath. He wished he could really talk to Remus. He missed him so much, and looking in his eyes every time he was with Teddy was some time too much. He could almost understand Snape's reactions to his mother's eyes in him. Most of the time, it was nice to see a part of someone you loved in someone else, but sometimes it would catch him suddenly and it would tear his heart apart missing Remus.

He slowly approached the double graves of Remus and Tonks. He approached and sat down by the headstone. "Wotcher, Tonks. Hi Remus. I can't believe it's been almost two months already. Teddy is growing so much – I know you're watching him and see what he's doing. He changes his hair a lot, but seems to like keeping it turquoise. It's been amazing watching him grow. It was so exciting watching him rollover for the first time. Did you see that? He's wonderful – I never knew babies could be so brilliant. Don't worry about him – Andromeda and I will take care of him. I know I said that before, but it was because I felt like I had to. But now, I love him. No one could keep me from him. I even worked it out with McGonagall so that Andromeda can bring him to visit. I didn't want to wait until December to see him again. Yeah, Remus, that means I'm going to finish my education. I know you would want me to." Harry fell silent for awhile. "I'm going back to Hogwarts today. There's a memorial for the battle being unveiled today. Somehow I agreed to give a speech. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I can't stand talking in public. I don't know if I can handle being there. I know they cleaned it up and I would have to go back in two days for school. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle being there all year. So much happened there, I don't know if I'm ready to face it yet. "

Harry sat there for awhile longer, lost in thought. After a last look around, he wiped the silent tears from his face and whispered, "I miss you." Harry apparated to the graveyard in Godric's Hollow.

He approached the three graves. He felt like he should say something to Snape, but couldn't bring himself to. He was coming to understand the man's life, but they had never been friendly. And all he really wanted right now was his parents. He sat down next to the graves, on the opposite side of his professor's. "Hi Mum, Dad." He was overwhelmed and the tears he had been fighting all morning finally broke. "I don't know how to handle being back there. So much was lost." He sat there sobbing as he let his feelings escape. Finally, he calmed down a bit and continued, "I'm even supposed to give a speech – me. Why? It's so bloody unfair. That monster took everything away from me and all everyone wants is for me to stand up like a hero. I'm not any hero – I'm just Harry."

Harry sat there, thinking over the past. His thoughts finally centered on the battle. "That day was awful. From the moment we arrived at Hogwarts, it was a race against time to get all the Horcruxes. There was so much destruction, so many people lost. How can I go back? How can I tell Teddy in a few years about all the wonderful times we had when I also have to tell him its where his parents died? How do I do this?"

He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Ginny, Ron and Hermione. "We do it together Harry" Ginny told him as she sat and pulled him in a hug.

"We thought you'd been alone enough this morning," Ron commented. Ron and Hermione sat on the other side of him. The foursome sat for while, silent tears trailing down all their cheeks.

Finally, Hermione told Harry that he needed to get to Andromeda's. Nodding, he hugged Ginny and stood. They walked silently to the graveyard and parted ways, Harry to Andromeda's, the others returned to the Burrow.

Harry arrived at Andromeda's ready to see his godson. He played with Teddy for a little while before Andromeda came and got him. While Andromeda changed Teddy, Harry changed into his dress robes. When they arrived back in the living room, Andromeda motioned for Harry to sit down.

"Harry, before we leave, I need to ask you something," Andromeda said.

Harry nodded, watching Teddy squirm in Andromeda's arms. She continued, "Do you know where it happened?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't know. You saw my memories of that day, I wasn't with them. We can find out today if you like. I think Kingsley knows."

"No, Harry," she replied. "I don't want to know exactly where it happened. I imagine that many families will want to know. But I think it's better not knowing exactly where it happened. I don't know what I would do if I were to find out where it was. What if it was where we used to hang out in school? What if it was where Ted asked me out? Or where we picnicked? Or had our first kiss? There's so many good memories attached to my days at Hogwarts. I've been trying to decide if I wanted to know exactly where it happened or not. I think I really don't need to know where. I know how. And I know they're both gone. Knowing exactly where is not important. I imagine most of the families will want to know where, but I don't want to know."

"I understand," Harry replied quietly. "I really don't want to know either. So many places have both good and bad memories there now. I've been thinking about how I was supposed to tell Teddy how wonderful Hogwarts was and also explain it was also the place his parents died. I'd like to be able to show him the good spots and just not know. "

Andromeda nodded. "Thank you."

"Andromeda," Harry began, looking down. "Is it OK if I see Teddy tomorrow? I keep forgetting to ask and it's the last day before school."

"Molly already invited us for dinner tomorrow," Andromeda answered. "But you know you're always welcome to visit. Teddy loves having you here. If you want to visit earlier you can."

And with that, it was time to leave for Hogwarts. They apparated to Hogesmeade and began the journey to the castle. There were other families on the path to Hogwarts. No body spoke as they walked, too lost in their thoughts. They arrived at the castle and found Ron, Hermione and Ginny waiting.

"Mum and Dad went in. We're all meeting in the Great Hall," Ginny told Harry, taking his hand. The group walked onto the grounds and stopped a few feet in. Looking around, Harry could see that everything was as he remembered from his school days. There was no sign that a great battle had taken place on the grounds. "Where to?" she asked.

i Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows US edition pg 441


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N – **__Sorry this took so long. And Harry is a little OOC here – I don't think he ever spoke this well in canon. The next two chapters are not done yet, but – the third one is. I'm having a hard time with the return to Hogwarts and to classes and wanted to wait to post this until I had something more concrete past this one. But, I decided I made you all wait too long for this, so I'm posting this one now, and hoping that by posting it, I can finally figure out how to get from here to the first Hogsmeade weekend already written._

_Enjoy! Kelly_

**Chapter 18**

"Let's just go to the Great Hall. I don't feel like walking around just yet," Hermione was the first to reply. Everyone nodded and they headed quietly to the Great Hall.

It was amazing – the castle looked as it always had. No one could tell that a great battle had occurred just over two months earlier. All the damage had been repaired, the castle completely rebuilt. They entered the Great Hall and easily found the rest of the Weasleys. They joined their family and waited.

All too soon, lunch was over. Kingsley and McGonagall approached. McGonagall simply said, "It's time."The group started out to the Great Lake. The crowd had started to follow the group of heroes and people slowly filled in the area around the memorial. There was a large row of chairs marked reserved in the front, and Kinglsey motioned for Harry to take his place there.

It seemed only a few minutes had passed when the area was crowded with what seemed like the entire Wizarding world. Harry recognized many, but there were many more he did not. Harry was happy when he saw Luna, Mr. Lovegood, Neville and Mrs. Longbottom take the seats directly behind him. It seemed seconds had passed and everyone was sitting, waiting, anxious. Whispers and silent tears could be heard.

Harry wasn't sure how much time had passed, but all too soon, silence descended upon the crowd and Kingsley approached the podium near the Great Lake. Harry watched as Kingsley addressed the crowd, but he wasn't listening – his mind had wondered back to the last time he was at Hogwarts, to the final battle. Harry felt Ginny's hand squeeze his harder. Looking around, he saw Ron and Hermione on the other side of Ginny, with the rest of the Weasleys, Andromeda and Teddy sitting beyond them. He smiled slightly as he suddenly knew what he had to say today. He saw that McGonagall had taken Kingsley's place and was now speaking. Harry wished he had listened to McGonagall's speech as she called him to the stand, introducing him by saying, "…and now for the young man who symbolized the power of innocence throughout our struggle, our hope for the triumph of good, and the young man who finally triumphed over Voldemort, Mr. Harry Potter."

Harry stood, one last squeeze of Ginny's hand and walked down the row and up to the podium. Part of him wished he had listened to what the others had said and part wished he had listened to Hermione and written a speech. He looked out at those gathered, the sound of soft crying in the air. He refused to look at his family and friends as he started – he knew that one look towards them and he would loose all control himself.

"Those of you who know me know that I don't like speaking in front of large groups. And I didn't listen to Hermione and write a speech before I came – but then, it wasn't until a few minutes ago that I really knew what to say." Soft chuckling was heard scattered throughout the crowd. "That day when Hermione, Ron and I arrived at Hogwarts, we weren't planning on having the final battle here at Hogwarts. In my worse dreams, I couldn't have imagined having that battle here, but looking back, I know that it had to be here. Our goal that day was to find the last object of Dark Magic that Tom Riddle had created to keep him immortal and destroy it. He had hidden it here in the castle because as a young child, this was the first place he had felt a home, where he belonged. It symbolized not just a place to learn, but a place of power, of security. Many of us here today feel the same way about Hogwarts – it was the place where we spread our wings and grew into the person we could only dream of at eleven. So many of you responded to the call Neville sent to the DA to come and defend Hogwarts because it was your home as well. For seven years, this place protected us, and inside its walls, we learned more than magic – we discovered friends and family. This was home. "

"This past year, our world was threatened. It was threatened by evil that had slept for thirteen years. The battle just over two months ago ended a war that we have been fighting for the past three years. The people who died here during the final battle died defending not only our world and our way of life, they fought to protect our home and our memories. It is those people we pause today to remember, their lives, their hopes and dreams."

Harry took a deep breath and looked towards the front row. George nodded slightly before looking away, tears in his eyes. As Harry read the first name of those fifty some people who lost their lives in the final battle, the first Weasley firework exploded, forming into the young face of Colin Creevey. As Harry continued to read the names in front of him on the podium, faces exploded in the air above him. Harry felt himself struggling to finish as he read the last name on the list, "Fred Weasley." Harry looked into the sky and saw the faces of those lost smiling down. Somehow George had been able to make a firework for every one. Harry watched until the faces started fading to continue.

"For six years Hogwarts has been my home. It is where I learned about the magical world that was hidden from me until I was eleven. All of my best memories have taken place right here on the grounds or inside the castle. I have been wondering these past few days how I will be able to tell my godson about the wonders I've known here and yet still be able to explain that this is where his parents died, the horrors of the final battle. I know I'm not the only one wondering. Many of us are struggling with how we are to return to school here in a few short days. I don't have any answers. But, I do know this. If we don't return to school, to our lives, then they will have died for nothing. As hard as it will be, I know that we can do this. As we return to school in the next few days, we must bring with us all that has made Hogwarts great. We must remember everything that Hogwarts has been and is. Hogwarts is the home of students as we grow into our powers, discover who we are and who we are to be. By returning to school, or sending your children, sending the future generations here – that's how we truly memorialize those who died here. By continuing to live, by moving forward, we can heal and we can make sure that the sacrifices made that day are for a better world – a happier world."

Harry walked back to his seat, taking Teddy from his Grandmother's arms. As he sat down, McGonagall and Kinglsey went to the front. As McGonagall talked, Kingsley waved his wand and the marble memorial appeared. And as suddenly as the service had started, it was over. People were standing and leaving. Harry looked at Teddy, then at Ron and Hermione. "Let's go – I want to show Teddy something before we leave." And the four of them plus Teddy walked off towards the castle.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

Harry just smiled and continued walking towards the castle. They entered the castle and Harry led the way. He stopped in front of the door to the DADA classroom.

"This was your Dad's room when I was thirteen," Harry told Teddy. He opened the door and they walked in. "We had lots of talks here and in his office up there. This was where I first started to get to know him. He was amazing Teddy. I know he will be so proud of the person you will be and excited for you when it's your turn to come to Hogwarts. Hopefully you won't need Defense as much as we did, and hopefully you'll have a teacher as great as your dad – he was the best."

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked around the classroom. As they remembered the past teachers, the past classes they spent in this room, suddenly they knew it was possible – they could return and get on with their lives. They were even looking forward to it. Slowly, they walked out of the classroom, looking forward to returning to Hogwarts for the first time that summer.


End file.
